TWO NEW LEAF MUTANTS IN CHICKPEA

Abstract

Apinnate mutant The normal leaf shape in chickpeas is generally pinnate. However, leaf mutants obtained from induced mutations and from natural population in chickpeas include simple and multipinnate leaf. The present studies report a new spontaneous mutation in leaf shape. The mutant was identified in the multiplication plot of a cultivar BGO 85 at IAR! field in 1995-96. The mutant was different from the pinnate leaves by the absence of pinnae on rachis (Fig. 1). However, a terminal asymmetric pinna was observed on each rachis and its size was approximately one and half times larger than the normal pinna of other pinnate plants of the same cultivar.