European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTAL MUTAGENESIS ON CHICK PEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) INDUCED BY ULTRAVIOLET RAYS AND ETHYL METHANE SULPHONATE

Ugandhar T.*, Rajendra Prasad B., Venkateshwarlu M., Odelu G. and Parvathi D.

ABSTRACT

Genetic variability is the most essential prerequisite for successful crop improvement programme as it provides spectrum of variants for the effective selection, which can be achieved through the processes of mutation. Induced mutagenesis through physical and chemical mutagens is an important and sophisticated approach to induce desirable variability, resulting in the creation of new varieties with better characteristic. In the present study, seeds of chick pea (Cicer arietinum (L.) ICCV-2 was mutagenized with different time intervals /concentrati ons of UV rays and EMS to determine the effect of mutagens on different quantitative characters. The quantitative characters that were analyzed in M3 generations were included: days to first flower, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of leaves per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), pod breadth (cm), pod yield per plant (g) and twenty seed weight (g). The results showed that in M3 generation, 1.0% of EMS and 5minutes intervals‟ of time of UV rays showed a significant increase in all the quantitative characters when compared to control and other doses/concentrations. However, consistent decrease in the flowering period was found with decrease in the mutagenic concentration. We conclude that the mutagenic effect of UV rays and EMS were found to be beneficial in improving the growth and yield of Chick Pea.

Keywords: UV rays, EMS, Chick pea, Induced mutation.