Mutagenicity of radiations and chemical mutagens in Sorghum

Abstract

A comparative study on the relative mutagenicity of radiations (X-and gamma rays) and chemical mutagens (EMS, MMS, dES and NEU) in inducing chlorophyll, viable and total mutations was made on three cultivated varieties (Co. 11, Co. 12 and Co. 18) of Eu-Sorghum. A critical comparison of the chlorophyll, viable and total mutations shows that the mutation rate increased with an increase in dose up to a certain dose level beyond which the saturation effect was observed. EMS was found to be the most potent mutagen in inducing chlorophyll, viable and total mutations. The treatments with NEU (viable mutations) and dES (viable and total mutations) also proved to be effective. In a large number of cases the relationship between chlorophyll and total mutations was more close than that of viable to total mutation rates.