Research Paper MUTAGENIC EFFECT OF EMS ON QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS OF BRASSICA NAPUS L. CV. EXCEL IN M1 GENERATION

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is one of the important sources of vegetable oils and protein-rich meals. Canola ranks third in global production of oilseed crops and fifth among economically important crop next to wheat, rice, maize, and cotton. The present work was undertaken with the aim to investigate the effect of Ethylmethyl sulphonate (EMS) on the yield contributing characters of brassica napus L. cv. Excel. Physiologically similar seeds of Brassica napus L. cv. Excel were exposed to EMS. Dry and pre-soaked water seeds in DNA – synthetic phase for treatments were utilized. Mutagen treated seeds were used to raise M1 generation. M1 population was harvested plant wise. The micro mutations were recorded in M1 generations. Quantitative characters and data for each character were recorded by taking 15 plants at random from each concentration of each treatment along with control. EMS was found to be potent to reduced plant height with increase in the yield. EMS has significant effect on number of branches per plant, number of siliquae on main axis, number of seeds per siliqua, number of siliquae per plant, single seed weight, hundred seed weight, thousand seed weight and yield per plant. EMS has no significant effect on length of siliqua. Among dry and pre-soaked water treatment of EMS, dry treatment not beneficial to increased breadth of siliqua. Among all treatment and concentrations used in present investigation, 0.006% concentration of 18hrs. dry treatment was found to be more effective to increase yield per plant.