Abstract
Polyploids play a key role in the improvement of citrus cultivars. Citrus breeding programs necessitate morphological,
cytological and genetic characterization of cultivars. Here we analyze the polyploids using these three approaches.
Cytological studies signify occurrence of spontaneous triploids (9.95%) and tetraploids (6.05%) in Kinnow mandarin and
Succari sweet orange, respectively. Leaf characteristics were found directly proportional to the ploidy level; they change with
an increase in the ploidy level. Genetic variability amongst morphologically distinct polyploids was confirmed using Simple
Sequence Repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Accessions K1, K4, K5 and K7 of Kinnow, F7, F8 and F10 of Feutrell’s Early, M2
and M4 of Mosambi, and S1 and S11 of Succari were found polymorphic, and are considered useful in current breeding
programs in Pakistan. SSR loci genotyping, morphological selection and cytological screening of polyploids appeared to be
an improved strategy for efficient screening and characterization of polyploids at seedling stage.
