Induced Variation in Protein Quantity and Quality in the Wild and Cultivated Urd and Mung Beans

Seeds of Vjgna sublobata (wild), V. radiata cv. PS 16 and V. mungo cv. T 9 (both cultivars) were used for the induction of mutations with EMS and gamma rays. Four-dose treatments of each of these mutagens (EMS: 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%; gamma rays: 10, 20, 30, and 40 kR; EMS + gamma rays: 0.1% + 10 kR, 0.2% + 20 kR, 0.9% + 30 kR, and 0.4% + 40 kR) were employed. The M₂ and M₃ seeds were analysed for protein content and some selected mutant type M₃ seeds were analysed for amino acid content. The results suggest that the range of induced variation in the whole seed protein is narrow within the species, but within each mutant line, the range is very broad. Some of these high protein mutants have also high levels of lysine and limiting S-amino acids coupled with higher yield. The whole seed protein content showed genotype × environmental interactions both in the control and mutated genotypes. As far as protein and amino acids are concerned, the wild relative is as good as the cultivars.