Assessment of extent of variability induced by gamma rays in maize (Zea mays L.)
2015
Qamar-u0Zaman
Gamma rays were used to induce mutation in maize variety (Sultan) with four irradiation doses (20 Gray, 40 Gray, 60 Gray and 80 Gray) and compared with non-irradiated set. Data were collected for morphological traits like Plant height (cm), number of days to silking, number of days to tasselling, number of grain rows per cob, cob length (cm), number of cobs per plant, diameter of the cob, number of grains per row, number of grains per cob, grain weight per cob, 100 grain weight and for grain yield per plant. Frequency distribution and histogram were used to find effects of different irradiation doses on individual plants. Under different Irradiation doses positive and negative effects were observed in studied genotype. Plant height, cob length, grains weight per cob and 100 grains weight were increased at dose of 20 gray as compared to non-irradiation conditions (normal). Number of grain rows per cob and number of cobs per plant increased at the dose of 40 gray as compared to the non-irradiated set. Days taken to silking reduced to 57 days from 62 days and days taken to tasseling showed early development in 53 days at the dose of 60 gray which showed positive mutation. Fertility in maize, diameter of cob, number of grains per row, number of grains per cob were negatively affected by radiation treatments. Decreasing trend was observed in yield per plant; yield decreased up to 86 g (60 gray) as compared to 1949 at non-irradiation condition. At the dose of 80 gray, 100 grain weight increased as compared to non-irradiation treatment. Summary statistics showed that mutations in polygenic traits were random and did not follow any particular pattern in all mutagenic doses.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by National Agricultural Research Centre