IN VITRO TECHNIQUES COUPLED WITH IRRADIATION FOR SELECTION OF BASMATI RICE MUTANTS BE'ITER ADAPTED TO SALINE ENVIRONMENTS

Among different doses of gamma rays, 1.5 kR induced 71.84% callus in Basrnati rice in amodified MS medium and 2% redifferentiation under anon-saline environment, 20% callusing response with 7.5%,2.8% and 2.5% redifferentiation was induced by 2.0 kR at electrical conductivity (EC) of 4,s and 6 dS.m of NaCl respectively, in regeneration medium. A non-irradiated non-saline environment revealed a redifferentiation percentage of 48.28% with a regeneration percentage of 6.9%, in addition to one albino plant, while a non-irradiated saline environment indicated 4% regeneration at 4 dS.m-I EC of NaCl. The results based on these studies are discussed