Effect of Some Chemical Mutagens on Nutrient Compositions of Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam)

Abstract

Effects of sodium azide (SA) and colchicine (COL) (chemical mutagens) on some nutrient compositions of four varieties of sweetpotato (Butter milk, TIS87/0087, UMUSPO/3 and UMUSPO/1) were investigated at the Biotechnology Laboratory of the National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Nigeria. The parent plants were treated with sodium azide and colchicine mutagens at concentrations of 0%, 0.03%, 0.05% and 0.07%. Storage roots of the M2V2 generations from the mutant plants were used for the nutrient composition analysis using recommended standard procedures. Nutrient traits studied were: moisture content (%), dry matter content (%), amylose and amylopectin contents (%), starch yield (%), starch content % based on fresh weight and starch content % based on dry weight. Mutants with higher dry matter content than the control were observed in TIS87/0087 treated with SA and COL 0.03%. SA and COL 0.05% produced mutants with higher amylose content (and lower amylopectin) than the control in TIS87/0087. UMUSPO/3 treated with SA 0.03% and SA 0.05% produced mutants with higher values for amylose content (and lower values for amylopectin) than the control; the same variety treated with colchicine (COL 0.05%), recorded higher value for amylose content (and lower value for amylopectin) than the control. These findings showed that sodium azide and colchicine mutagens were potent in inducing variations in nutrient composition of sweetpotato.