Rice Genetics Laboratory, Bose Institute, Calcutta-700 009
Dry seeds of rice varieties namely ‘Marichbati’, ‘Dular’ and ‘Jhanjee’ were treated with different doses of X-rays (25 kr, 50 kr, 75 kr) and β-rays from radioactive phosphorus (5 μc, 10 μc, 15 μc/seed). The heritable and nonheritable changes induced in the leaves of these varieties were studied in the first and later generations. Mutants were isolated for changes in the leaf morphology like forked leaf, extra leaf in the panicle, and chlorina leaf respectively. These mutants were crossed in later generations, with normal rice varieties, to understand the genetic changes induced in them. Agronomic changes observed in these mutants have also been studied.
