Efficacy of mutagenic treatments in producing useful mutants in finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.)

Abstract

A mutation breeding project was initiated with finger millet varieties, VR 708 and GPU 26 using three doses each of gamma rays (150, 300 and 450 Gy), ethyl methane sUlphonate (0.15, 0.30 and 0.45%) and nitroso guanidine (0.015, 0.030 and 0.045%) coupled with combination treatments of 300 Gy gamma rays with 0.30% EMS or 0.030% NG. Fifteen selected M2 plant progenies from each of the eleven mutagenic treatments along with the parental variety were evaluated in Ms generation. Four high yielding Ms progenies from each treatment along with the parental variety were evaluated for yield and eight component traits in M4 generation. In Ms generation, of the 165 progenies, 61 in VR 708 and 65 in GPU 26 produced significantly higher yield than the parent and EMS treatments produced more of such high yielding progenies. In M4, out of 44 progenies in each of VR 708 and GPU 26, 8 and 9 progenies showed superiority over the parental variety in one or more traits, respectively. High frequency of positive mutations was observed for 1000-grain weight, finger length and fingers/ear in case of VR 708 and fingers/ear and finger length in case of GPU 26. Moreover, EMS treatments produced more superior mutants (28.93% in VR 708 and 39.13% in GPU 26) in different traits than the other mutagenic treatments. Among the mutagenic treatments, the frequency of high yielding progenies in Ms and M4 generations were higher in 0.30% and 0.45% EMS, 0.030% NG and combination treatment of 300 Gy gamma rays + 0.30% EMS.