Assessment of genetic variability and association among yield traits in M₂ population of menthol mint cv. CIM-Kranti

For plant genetic improvement, it is of paramount significance to determine genetic components for selecting the desirable traits and their interrelationship for enhanced selection efficiency. Menthol mint is a perennial herbaceous aromatic plant cultivated as an annual herb for its commercial valued essential oil. Mint is highly heterozygous in its genetic constitution and vegetatively propagated by stolons, making it a promising material for induction of the desired variability. Mint cultivar CIM-Kranti was subjected to gamma irradiation (20 Gy and 40 Gy) and 58 promising putative mutants were selected from the M₁ generation based on growth and yield parameters were forwarded to M₂ laid out in RCBD with two replications. The study revealed that plant height, plant spread, number of branches, leaf to stem ratio, leaf area, days for flowering, fresh herb yield, shade dried herb yield, essential oil content and essential oil yield exhibited significant variability among the putative mutants in comparison with check in M₂ generation. Further, essential oil yield was significantly positive correlation with fresh herb yield, shade dried herb yield, leaf area, number of branches, plant height and plant spread.