Effect of EMS induced morphological mutation in strawberry

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of EMS induced morphological mutation in strawberry cv. Camarosa. Explant was subjected to different EMS concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%) along with control for various treatment durations (1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 h). Runner tips, shoot tips, leaf disc (abaxial and adaxial) were used as explants. The concentration 0.4% was found lethal to the plants. The runner tip explants treated with EMS concentration 0.1% for duration 1.5 h gave maximum number of fruits/plant (20.5), yield/plant (0.35 kg) and fruit size (47.1 mm × 41.5 mm) and take minimum days to fruit maturity (20.2 days) with dark red, conical shape fruit and was found best among all the treatment combinations. Among various explants used, the runner tips explants were found best followed by shoot tips, leaf disc (abaxial) and leaf disc (adaxial). With the increased EMS concentrations along with treatment duration there was a gradual decrease in the number of runners and increased days taken to initiate the runners. In future, these experimental results will prove very useful for induction of variability in this fruit crops.