II. 26. Induction of high tillering mutants in two-rowed barley.
Avinash Chandra, K.H. Makde and V.L. Kajale, Department of Botany, Dharampeth Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur 440 010 (M.S.) India.
Barley is one of the important cereal crops in India, which is used in a variety of ways. Number of productive tillers is one of the major yield components in cereals. In the present investigation four high tillering mutants induced through gamma irradiation in two-rowed barley (Hordeum distichum L.) var. Clipper were tested for their homozygosity up to M7 generation. The mutants along with control were grown in randomized block, with four replications in the last generation: Observations on ten randomly chosen plants were recorded in each plot for yield and its components.
Mean values of yield and its attributes for mutants and control are presented in Table 1. Important features of each mutant are briefly described below.
Table 1. Mean yield and its components of mutants and control.
HTMB-1: This mutant obtained from 10 kR dose was taller than control. The tall stature resulted due to increase in the internodal length of all internodes except the basal two internodes. Besides high tillering capacity, the mutant was superior to control in several characters, viz.. spike length, test weight and grain yield. Other characters included long broad waxy and dark green leaves, thick pinkish and hooked auricle, long broad flag forming 45° angle to the main axis.
HTMB-2: This mutant, developed through 30 kR dose, was semidwarf in stature with stiff straw. Besides high tillering ability, the mutant had erect waxy thick and dark green leaves. This mutant had high yields, lodging resistant and early in maturity.
HTMB-3 and 4: These two mutants isolated from 40 kR dose, showed short statured due to reduction in internodal length. Reduction in culm length may have caused the mutant to be lodging resistant. Besides high tillering capacity, these mutants had short, thick and dark green leaves arranged vertically, which could make efficient use of solar radiation during photosynthesis (Tsunoda, 1959). However, these mutants showed very poor fertility due to higher pollen sterility (89.44 and 93.21%). Based on these findings, it is suggested that these mutants may be incorporated in breeding programme for transforming the high tillering potential to the adative commercial cultivars of barley.
Acknowledgement:
Authors are grateful to Shri V.B. Phatak, Principal, Dharampeth Mahavidyalaya,
Nagpur, for providing facilities and Dr. P. Singh, Scientist, C.I.C.R.,
Nagpur, for going through the manuscript.
Reference:
Tsunoda, S. 1959. A development analysis of yielding ability in varieties of field crops II. The assimilation system of plants as affected by the form, distance and the arrangements of single leaves. Jpn. J. Breed, 9:237-244.
