No abstract

The mutagenic effects of different dose/concentrations of gamma rays (30, 40 and 50 KR) and ethyl methane sulphonate (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mM) on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties VRI-1 were investigated. The characters studied include; days to first flower, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of capsule per plant, number of seeds per capsule and seed yield per plant in M 2 and M 3 generations. Both negative and positive shifts in mean values were recorded as a result of the physical and chemical treatments. The results indicate the possibilities of evolving higher yield variants through proper selection. Thus, economic traits like number of capsule per plant, number of seeds per capsule and hundred seed weight in M 3 generation offer scope for selection and improvement. INTRODUCTIONSesame plays an important role in human nutrition. Most of the sesame seeds are used for oil extraction and the rest are used for edible purposes (El Khier et al., 2008). Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds. Before seeds were appreciated for their ability to add nutty flavour or garnish foods, they were primarily used for oil and wine (Ghandhi, 2009). Sesame seed is rich in fat, protein, carbohydrates, fibre and some minerals. The oil seed is renowned for its stability because it strongly resists oxidative rancidity even after long exposure to air (Global Agri Systems, 2010).Mutation breeding is one possible alternative to conventional breeding for crop improvement. Exposing plant genetic material to mutagens enhances the chance of isolating unique genetic material. In the past, induced mutations have effectively been utilized in development of new and valuable alterations in plant characteristics that have contributed to increased yield potential. Induced mutations can rapidly create variability in quantitatively and qualitatively inherited traits in crops (Maluszynski et al., 1995;Muduli and Mishra, 2007). Mutation breeding not only creates variability in crop species, but also shortens the time taken for the development of cultivars via induced mutation compared to those via hybridizations. The average time elapsed from initial mutation treatment to the release of the mutant cultivars was approximately 9 years, while the time was more than 9 years for cultivar arising from crossing programmes (Brock, 1977). Moreover mutations induced both qualitative and quantitative characters in a short time altering new alleles of known and previously unknown genes, and modify the linkages (Konzak et al., 1977). The present investigation was undertaken study the effect of mutagens on quantitative characters in M 2 and M 3 generation of sesame and results are discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract