EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF GAMMA RAYS ON SESAME (Sesamum indicum Sesamum indicum Sesamum indicum L.) GENOTYPES L.) GENOTYPES

Abstract

To evaluate the mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of gamma rays on different biological parameters in two genotypes of sesame, Rama and Tillotoma; seeds were irradiated with five doses of gamma rays: (250, 300, 350, 400, 450 Gy) from Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay and grown (along with control) during prekharif 2015 in split plot design as M1 and during pre-kharif 2016 with plant to progeny rows as M2 generation at experimental farm of Visva-Bharati. The effectiveness and efficiency of the mutagen used was assessed with regard to biological damage viz. pollen sterility (%) and plant lethality (%) in the M1 generation. In M2 generation, mutation frequency was assessed with chlorophyll mutation. Three types of chlorophyll mutations viz., albina, xantha and chlorina were observed with maximum chlorina (66.1%) types. All the studied parameters were decreased with increase dose of gamma rays, whereas, mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency increased in lower doses. For both genotypes, lower dose 300 Gy (0.42 effectiveness and 12.57 efficiency) was found to be most effective and efficient dose. The present findings concluded that lower doses were more effective and efficient among the used doses and can be recommended for exploiting variability with isolating promising mutants.