Ethyl Methanesulfonate (EMS)-Mediated Fruit Mutants Of Bitter Gourd (Meghna-2): A Popular Landrace Of West Bengal

Abstract

Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) is a stable and effective chemical mutagen. Bitter Gourd (Meghna-2) seeds were treated by 0.3, 0.5, and 1% EMS for 24 h and 48 h to optimize EMS mutagenesis. Median lethal dose of EMS was obtained at 0.3% EMS treated for 48 h. After treated by 0.3% EMS for 48 h, 250 M1 plants were grown in field for phenotype determination. In comparison to the control, a decline in germination, leaf shape, fruit size, fruit shape, vine length, and emergence was seen in the M1 generation when the concentration of applied EMS was increased. The fertility of M1 bitter gourd was very low and only 24 lines produced seeds after self crossing. Of the mutant 24 lines in the plant growth, five were dwarf, two were tall, four had retarded fruit size, and 13 had abnormal branching and flowering. Only four lines (G 6, G 9, G 14 and G 15) raised from M2 generations of Meghna-2, were screened critically and observed no significant reduction in seed germination and pollen viability but the fruit size was significantly decreased. Interestingly, the short fruit type and round shape of Meghna-2 (G 9) was chosen amongst the four due to farmer’s acceptability, which was grown further to confirm the stability.