Mutagenic Effects of MH and MMS on Induction of Variability in Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Aims: An experiment was conducted to find out the comparative response of MMS and MH on Vicia faba L. var. Nepal Selection with a view to determine the mutagen and treatment causing maximum bio-physiological and cyto-morphological variation as compared to the control for genetic improvement of crop.
Study Design: Induced mutation breeding study.
Place and Duration of Study: Mutation Breeding Laboratory, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aliagrh, during Rabi seasons of 2010 to 2012.
Methodology: The dry and healthy seeds of uniform size were treated with four concentrations viz, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03%, 0.04% of the mutagens (MH and MMS) independently for 6 hours. The observations were made on seed germination, seedling height, total chlorophyll content, morphological variation in leaf and flower arrangement, pollen fertility in M1 generations and quantitative traits such as days to maturity, plant height, leaves per plant, pods per plant, seeds per plant, 100 seed weight (g) in M2 generations.
Results: The results of the present investigation clearly revealed that MH and MMS both induced similar type of mutation in broad bean but extent and frequency of variation greatly varies. Biological damages namely reduction in seed germination, seedling height and pollen fertility were more in 0.03% and 0.04% MH compare to MMS and also total chlorophyll content was lowest at 0.04% MH. The recorded inhibition percentage shows the higher effectiveness of MH compare to MMS in inducing mutation in M1 population. Frequency of morphological variations and cytological aberrations was observed to be more in higher doses of MH than MMS. Further in M2 generation, early maturing mutants were obtained from 0.01% & 0.02% MH and 0.02% & 0.03% MMS treated plants. Plant height and leaves per plant decreases with increasing doses but 0.04% MH treatment gives dwarf variants with reduced height with few small leathery leaves. Yield and attributing traits showed positive mutation at 0.01%, 0.02% & 0.03% MMS compared to control.
Conclusion: Lower or intermediate doses of both the mutagens were found to be useful to improve the genetic background of broad bean, especially in seed yield and early maturity. MH and MMS both induced similar type of variation but degree and frequency of variation is more in MH treated populations in all the parameters studied in Vicia faba L.