Studies on mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

Abstract

A comparative study on effect of different dose/concentration of gamma rays, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and sodium azide (SA) on various biological parameters (seed germination, seedling height, plant survival, pollen fertility and chromosomal aberrations) in M₁ generation and spectrum and frequency of macro-mutations (chlorophyll and other morphological mutations) induced in the M₂ generation was carried out in fenugreek in the present investigation. Mutagenic effectiveness decreased with the increase in dose/concentration of the mutagen where as the efficiency of mutagens showed variable trend depending on the criteria selected for its calculation. The lower or intermediate treatments of all the mutagens were found more efficient in causing less biological damage and inducing maximum macro-mutations. The order of mutagenic efficiency was EMS > SA > ϒ- rays.

Keywords: Fenugreek, biological damage, morphological mutations, gamma rays, EMS, SA

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(18), pp. 2437-2440