Induction and harnessing of polygenic variability in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Three mutagenised populations each of gamma rays, sodium azide (SA) and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) showed increased amount of variability over control for different polygenic traits in both macrosperma (LH90–54) and microsperma (LH89–48) lentil cultivars in M₂ generation. Among the mutagens tested, EMS induced maximum variability for all the traits, followed by gamma rays and SA in both the cultivars. The highest frequencies of mutated [M₂ progenies with higher coefficient of variation (CV) than the corresponding highest CV in control for any of the traits] and promising progenies [M₂ mutated progenies where mean shifted in the desired direction] were induced by different mutagens in the order: EMS > gamma rays > SA in both the cultivars (LH90–54 > LH89–48). In LH 90–54, promising progenies with multiple traits were induced with the highest frequency by SA, followed by EMS and gamma rays, whereas in LH89–48, they were induced with the highest frequency by SA, followed by gamma rays and EMS. Invariably, the medium dose of mutagens (0.08% SA, 0.40% EMS and 10 kR gamma rays) induced maximum variability (CV, %), resulting in the highest number of promising progenies for all the polygenic traits.