Effect of physical and chemical mutagens on seed germination and seedling shoot and root development in gram amaranth [Amaranthus spp. (L.)]

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to study the effect of physical (Gamma rays) and chemical mutagens (Ethylmethane Sulphonate and Sodium Azide) on germination per cent, shoot length and root length in grain amaranth [Amaranthus Spp. (L.)] cultivated varieties of viz., Gujarat amaranth-1, Gujarat amaranth-2 and Suvarna. The seeds were irradiated with different doses (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 kR) of gamma rays, and for chemical mutagens EMS (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 %) and SA (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 %) were used at different concentrations level. The biological parameters like germination shoot and root length were recorded at 4 days after sowing and at 7 days after sowing, respectiveiy. The studies indicated that germination, shoot length and root length were decreased with the increase of all the mutagen treatments except 15 kR gamma rays. LD-50 value not found for GA-1 and GA-2 varieties but found in Suvarna in this study. LD-50 of the gamma rays for germination was found between 20 and 25 kR in Suvarna, for EMS and SA it was found between 0.3 to 0.4 per cent and 0.03 to 0.04, respectively. Suvarna has higher sensitivity to mutagens than other two cultivars and EMS is more effective mutagens than other two mutagens.