Early generation selection of polygenic mutations in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Abstract

Healthy seeds of a macrosperma lentil cv., 'Precoz Selection' were treated with three doses (0.005, 0.01 and 0.02%) each of ethylene imine (EI) and N-nitroso-N-ethyl urea (NEU), and gamma rays (5, 10 and 20 kR). The M1 material in each treatment was classified into four groups of mutagenic damage. On the basis of macromutations induced and intra- and interfamily selection in M2 generation, different progenies were classified into three broad groups and raised as macromutational, selected and unselected populations in M". Among mutagens, NEU and between damage groups, HH (high seedling damage and high sterility) contributed maximum to the total M3 promising selections. The contribution of M2 and M3 generations to the total selections was 80.9% and 19.1 %, respectively. This suggested that although new promising selections (about one-fifth of the total) were added in M3 to those already selected in M2 the quantum of material nearly trebled, suggesting that promising progenies can be identified with high degree of confidence in M2 on the basis of mean and variance.