I once read that there were some reports that the chemical colchicine could induce variegation in plants.
Colchicine is a powerful and dangerous drug causing gene mutation, but it was originally produced from the bulb of the Autumn Crocus, Colchicum.
I recently bought a pack of three bulbs and mashed them up in a blender.
Having just collected some Poncirus seeds, I am trying a little experiment.
I have planted about 10 seeds each in a series of pots. I have added 5ml, 10ml, 15ml, 20 ml of the mashed bulbs to the compost in the first four pots. In another, I planted the seeds into a thin layer of the Colchicum mix. Finally, one pot has no Colchicum in it. I have put all the pots in a small heated propagator.
I have no idea if the Colchicum will actually have any effect, and I have no idea how much colchicine is actually in the mix.
Results awaited with interest!

You are going to provoke Roots mutations. Not very interesting.
Better try on few buds of a grown plant.

You are not very encouraging about my experiment!
Perhaps you are correct, but if the colchicine is absorbed into the roots, it will also be transferred into the upward growing shoot.

> You are not very encouraging about my experiment!
No, no! That's not what I meant.
I just meant if you have some of your mixture left it would be interesting to try on buds.

Well, the experiment was a failure - there was no significant difference between any of the pots, regardless of the quantity of 'colchicine' used.
Instead of mashing them into a paste, I should have planted the bulbs and enjoyed some autumn crocus flowers!

Thanks for keeping us to date on your experiment. I have followed with interest. I planted a large volume of variegated calamonden seeds to see how many variegated seedlings I would get. Out of fifty seeds sprouting (some two seedlings per seed) I had no variegated seedlings.

Thanks
Shohinken

Several years ago I read of how using the herbicide Surflan accomplished the same results and was possibly safer. In the article, it was explained that a process was used by daylily growers to produce more robust flowers. As I understand it, it results in an increase in the number of chromosomes (or something like that). Anyways, the way the daylily growers reportedly use it is to mix a 1% solution of Surflan in a bucket, remove the daylilyplant from its pot, wrap the roots with plastic or foil to prevent any Surflan from getting on the roots (the first hint that suggests you don't want to proceed with your method), and turn the plants upside down and soak the leaves of the plant overnight.

Even though I've got Surflan on hand, I've never experimented with it like this.

I know that some tissue culture growers also use Surflan and one friend said he bought his on eBay.

Good luck and stay safe.

Colchicine is used in orchid breeding to improve flower size, quality (Shape), color, plant size, and add strength to the plants. It also adds quite a bit heftier price for the orchid too! If you see an orchid that is 3N (triploid) or 4N (tetraploid) it is colchicine treated. From my understanding they are rendered sterile though. I have never heard anything about colchicine causing variegation. That sounds very interesting.