Biology and Agriculture Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Bombay-400085
Online published on 25 January, 2012.
Earlier reports on natural outcrossing in rice were based on bulk studies. In the present studies natural outcrossing was determined by the frequency of heterozygous plants in each progeny of the M2 mutants. Abnormally high values of natural outcrossing, even amounting to 100% on an individual plant progeny basis, were obtained. The results suggest that in order to ascertain the breeding behaviour of the induced mutants in the very next generation, all mutants segregating in M2 should be selfed, even in self-pollinated crops.
