Assessment of chemical mutagenic effects in mutation breeding programme for M1 generation of Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)

Mutation breeding is one of the most reliable technique in improving crop plants .Mutagens are used to bring the variability in floricultural crop, like Dianthus. Amongchemical mutagens, the efficiency and effectiveness are necessary to study the effective dose that can brings the broad spectrum of variability. In present study, three different concentrations (0.1, 0.4 and 0.7%) of colchicine (Col), ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS)and sodium azide (SA) were used to treated Dianthus seeds to assess seed germination behaviour, lethality, pollen sterility and mutagenic effectiveness. It was noted thatincrease in the dose of EMS and SA, germination percentage and survivability were decreased; whereas colchicine doses were proportional to increase germination percentage at seedling stage, but they were not survived till maturity. Higher lethality over control (32.89) was shown by 0.7% EMS. Pollen sterility also increased with increasing mutagenic doses. The maximum pollen sterility (61.1%) was observed under 0.7% colchicine. So, the effect of chemical mutagenesis on seedling and pollen sterility with EMS (especially 0.7%) treatment is much more beneficial as compared to colchicine and SA. 0.4% colchicine is effective for other agronomical characters. The highest mutagenic frequency (13.953) was observed at 0.4% Col and lowest one (4.464) at 0.1%Col. The mutagenic effectiveness was maximum (86.42%) at 0.1% EMS and minimum (13.824%) in 0.7% Col. The highest mutagenic efficiency (6.977) was recorded in 0.4% Coland lowest (0.995) in 0.7% SA on the basis of survivability. The effectiveness of the three chemicals on Dianthus is ranked as EMS>Col>SA