Influence of ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) on M3 generations of two genotypes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Abstract

Mutation breeding is considered to be economic and efficient in plant improvement, and the use of chemical mutagens such as ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) can potentially address plant breeding challenges. The aim of this present study is to create variations from existing two genotypes of tomato (Cobra and Roma vf) using a chemical mutagen ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) in the M3 generation. Variations like increased yield, increase in fruit size and weight, variations in leaf shape, growth habit and fruit colour were conspicuously observed in the two genotypes studied in the M3 generation. In Cobra, variant 3 recorded the highest fruit weight per plant of 1.118kg while 0.318kg was the least and it was recorded by variant 7. Variations in the fruit size are equally observed with some variants producing large fruits while others produce small fruits. Variant 2 had a single fruit weight of about 63g while variant 8 produced small fruit with a single fruit weighing about 27g. There are equally some remarkable variants in Roma vf, variant 2, had a fruit weight of 1.145kg with 56.4g fruits harvested with a single fruit weight of 20.3g. This variant produces lots of many small fruits with a creeping growth habit that makes it behave like an indeterminate variety.