A new nitroso-urea compound (nitroso dimethyl urea, NDMU) with two methyl groups was tested in two pea varieties (Early Superb and Mahndofer) under seed treatment with 0.02% concentration applied for 6 hours and compared with its single methyl analogue, N-nitroso methyl urea (NMU). The variety Early Superb was less mutable (mutation rate 2.1%) than Mahndorfer (13.3%). NDMU had slightly superior mutagenicity (7.3% mutations) over NMU (6.1%), although the new mutagen is much less toxic than NMU. Thus, the mutation rates can be further enhanced with higher doses of NDMU, which makes it particularly suitable for mutagenesis in higher plants.
Nitroso dimethyl urea, NDMU, toxicity, mutagenicity, pea
