Induced seed and pod colour mutations in urdbean [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]

Abstract

Almost all the varieties of urdbean crop generally carry rough black seed with black pods. Shining seed colour is appreciated by consumers and farmers. Four hundred uniform, healthy and dry (9.5% moisture) seeds of cultivar Pant Urd-30 were treated with 60Co gamma rays (10, 20, 30 and 40 kR doses), EMS (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8%) and combination of gamma doses, viz., 10, 20, 30 and 40 kR with 0.2% EMS. In the M2 generation, eight double mutations (Fig. 1 and 2) for seed and pod colour were observed in varied frequencies in mutagen treated populations (Table 1). The mutants with black shining seeds and black pods were found with the highest frequency (28%) followed by golden shining seeds and black pods (25%). All the mutants were compared with the parent (Pant Urd-30) as well as the standard check (T-9) in the M4 generation using randomized block design with three replications during Kharif, 2002. The data were recorded on 10 randomly selected plants from each replication for different yield and yield attributing traits viz., plant height, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight and grain yield per plant.