Genetics Division, Nuclear Research Laboratory Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
*Present Address: College of Agriculture, Kolhapur, Maharashtra State, India.
1Part of thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
Variation was induced for the content of the neurotoxic principle γ-N-oxalyl-∝, γ-diaminopropionic acid (BOAA) in four cultivars of L. sativus using physical and chemical mutagens. There was a significant shift in the mean toxin content in the treated population in M2. The heritability of BOAA content was estimated to be 47 per cent. A highly significant inter-generation correlation coefficient (rM3/M2) was obtained, indicating that this trait could respond to selection. On the basis of the M2 performance of the low toxin lines genetic advance under selection was predicted.
