Studies on mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of finger millet [Eleucina coracana (L.) Gaertn] in M1 generation and effect of gamma rays on its quantitative traits during M2 generation

Among the major food grains, finger millet [Eleucina coracana (L.) Gaertn] is one of the most nutritious crops. It is an important food crop in South Asia and Africa. The grain of finger millet has fine aroma when cooked or roasted and it is known to have many healthy promising qualities. It is a rich source of calcium and has good amount of magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Finger millet has a favorable amino acid spectrum that includes cysteine, tyrosine, tryptophan and methionine (Rachie, 1975). Genetic improvement of crop depends on the amount of genetic variability present in the population. Mutation breeding is the tool in the hand of breeder to create variability in crop population and to make selection in the population with the view to bring about further improvement in crop. Mutations are theoretical changes which occur in DNA sequences and results in change in genetic code. A gene mutation or point mutation is the group of all heritable changes which occur within the limit of a single gene. Abstract : Dry seeds (12 % moisture) of two finger millet cultivar viz., Dapoli-1 and Dapoli Safed were irradiated with four doses of gammarays viz., 400 Gy, 500 Gy, 600 Gy and 700 Gy at BARC, Mumbai. In laboratory test, root and shoot lengths of seedlings were decreased with increase in dose of gamma rays. Similarly, germination percentage and survival rate of seedlings were decreased with increase in dose of gamma irradiation during field study. In M 1 generation, three types of chlorophyll mutations viz., albino, xantha and viridis were observed. Albino and xantha were observed in all treatments, whereas, viridis observed only in lower doses viz., 400 Gy and 500 Gy. Based on the chlorophyll mutation frequency on M 1 plants, mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency were computed. In Dapoli-1 variety, two early maturing mutants and three high yielding mutants were isolated from 500 Gy dose and 600 Gy dose, respectively. In M 2 generation , the mutagenic treatments were effective in inducing various types of chlorophyll and morphological macro mutants, few of those showed significant change in flowering, maturity and plant height characters and few of them have good breeding value.