VARIABILITY OF ALKALOID CONTENT IN ACCESSIONS OF WINTER POPPY ECOTYPE (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM L.)

In Hungary, 10 poppy cultivars of “spring-sown” type are registered with different alkaloid contents of dry capsule. There is only one cultivar ’Kozmosz’ of “winter” poppy ecotype with medium-high alkaloid content (4-6%). Our idea was – in conformation with international efforts observed in poppy breeding – to select plant material of winter type with low-, high-, or special alkaloid content, which can be cultivated under the Hungarian ecological conditions. A total of 30 winter poppy populations of gene bank origin were involved into the investigations. The quantitative and qualitative determination of morphine, codeine and thebaine were done with thin-layer chromatography and densitometric evaluation. All populations seemed to have middle alkaloid content ranging their mean morphine content between 1.5 and 4.5 % with individual values of 0.2-10.0%. The relatively high individual variability found in the alkaloid content of populations provides an excellent basis for the further selection.