QUANTITATIVE TRAIT VARIATIONS THROUGH CHEMICAL MUTAGENESIS IN SESAME ( Sesamum indicum. L).

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is considered to be an ancient oil seed crop to generate high quality edible oil having nutritional and health related value but still at an early stage in breeding. Its chromosome number is 2n=26 and it belongs to the Pedaliaceae family and having significant economic value globally as well as in Ethiopia.With the objective of broadening the gene pool of sesame an experiment was conducted in the genetics and molecular biology laboratory as well as agricultural research field of Haramaya University employing factorial CRD experimental setup. In this experiment Healthy and Dry seeds of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), varieties, Abasena and Kelafo74, obtained from werer agricultural research institute were treated with sodium azide and hydroxyl amine hydrochloride at ascending mutagen concentrations of 0.01, 0.02,0.03,0.04 and 0.05 % targeted at determining the effects of the chemical mutagens to promote genetic variability in terms of the agro morphological parameters of sesame. Highly significant differences (P<0.01) were noticed in the varieties and treatments with respect to the traits under consideration (Germination percentage, root length ,shoot length, plant height, days to flowering ,days to maturity, internodes length, capsule length, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred seed weight). Similarly Treatment and variety interactions were also highly significant (P<0.01) with respect to all traits. The variety Abasena exhibited better performance in comparison to Kelafo74. Upon the results obtained from computing the mutagenic efficiency of the chemicals, we can draw statistical inference that sodium azide could be utilized to induce genetic variability for the improvement of Sesame and it is more effective than hydroxyl amine hydrochloride. Since the produced mutants from first generation are not adequate for studying the genetic stability these traits should be investigated for the desired traits in subsequent generations and in the field conditions,developing sesame varieties resistant for different biotic and abiotic stresses and assisting the present work with the recent biomolecular techniquesshould be future prospects.