Standardization of EMS doses for mutagenesis in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa duch) cv. winter dawn

Induced mutation by Ethyl Methane Sulphonate (EMS) has been found to be a very useful technique for crop improvement. Chemical mutagens, such as EMS, have been widely used to induce a variety of practical variations in several fruit crops. Therefore, a study was undertaken to determine the LD₅₀ and the effects of mutagens on growth-related, yield-related, and quality-related observations, as well as the mortality percentage of runners derived from the Winter Dawn variety of strawberry using EMS to create variability for desirable traits. The runners were treated with EMS. The treated runners, along with a control group, were planted for growth in pots under a polytunnel. Based on the probit curve derived from the survival of the treated plant, the LD₅₀ dose for EMS was found to be 3%. The 0.1% and 0.2% EMS doses showed good results in terms of growth, yield, and quality. An increase in the concentration of EMS resulted in a decrease in plant survival rate.