Sodium azide and hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride show affinity for different Oryza sativa varieties in mutation studies

The comparative effects of sodium azide (NaN 3 ) and hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride (NH 2 OH.HCl) on the growth and yield parameters of therice varieties; FARO 44, FARO 52 and FARO 57 were investigated. The planting materials obtained from the National Cereal Research Institute, Badeggi, Bida, Niger State were treated with 0.004 % sodium azide and 0.25 %hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride at pH 3. Control seeds were treated with distilled water at neutral pH. Growth parameters recorded include percentage germination and length of plumule and radicle. Yield parameters include number of tillers per plant, number of panicles per plant, one hundred grain weight. Results obtained include percentage germination with sodium azide having the highest percentage germination in FARO 44 and FARO 52 while hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride had the highest percentage germination in FARO 57. For number of panicles per plant at harvest, sodium azide treated grains had the highest number of panicles harvested in FARO 44 and FARO 52 while hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride had the highestnumber of panicles harvested per plant at harvest in FARO 57.The observations from this research showed that sodium azide had more affinity for FARO 44 and FARO 52 while hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride had an affinity FARO 57.Keywords: sodium azide, hydroxyl ammonium hydrochloride, FARO 44, FARO 52, mutagenesis, ric