ABSTRACT
The removal of the cover glass is a prerequisite for Giemsa C- and N-banding techniques for plant chromosomes. To avoid this step, attempts are being made to prepare plant chromosome slides by a smear technique, as used for the mammalian chromosomes. Using a smear technique, chromosome slides have been prepared from the roots of several plant species. Chromosome count is conducted in cell suspension and calluses derived from the plants to determine if calluses/suspensions contain parental chromosome constitutions. If they contain chromosomal aberrations, they will not generate plants with parental chromosomes. This can be conducted by the squash method. This protocol for meiotic chromosomes for banana and plantain was described by Adeleke et al. 2002. Cytological examination of these plants is difficult because chromosomes are small karyologically. Clarindo and Carvalho developed a chromosome preparation protocol for coffee suspension cells. This species has a relatively small size of chromosomes and the mitotic index from root meristem is low.
