GENETIC IMPROVEMENT ASSESSMENT OF MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND YIELD CHARACTERS IN M3 MUTANTS OF BREAD WHEAT

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Plant Research Department, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Inchas, Egypt. The aim of this study was to induce genetic variability in Sids 12, Sakha 94 and Gemmeiza 9 wheat cultivars using Gamma ray, LASER beams and Ethyl Methan Sulphonate. Field studies were conducted on M1, M2 and M3 generations. Bulked M3 mutants were evaluated during growing 2013/2014 season for performance and genetic variability of morpho-physiological and yield characters. The most promising M3 mutants derived from mother cultivar Sids 12 were Sd-12 0.3EMS and Sd-12 0.4EMS for high grain yield, no. of spikes/plant, flag leaf chlorophyll content, flag leaf area and spike length with moderate plant height. Whereas, the most promising populations derived from mother cultivar Sakha 94 were Sk-94 350 Gy, Sk-94 400 Gy and Sk-94 2hr LASER for grain yield and its components, flag leaf chlorophyll content, spike length. Furthermore, those obtained from Gemmieza 9 were Gm-9 0.3EMS for grain yield and its components, flag leaf area, flag leaf chlorophyll content, plant height and spike length. Maximum estimates of phenotypic (PCV), genotypic (GCV) and environmental (ECV) coefficients of variability were detected for No. of spikes/ plant followed by grain yield/plant and then No. of grains/spike in both Sids 12 and Sakha 94 as well as No. of grains/spike followed by grain yield/plant and flag leaf area. Heritability estimates in the broad sense in M3 generation varied from moderate to high for grain yield/plant and its contributing characters. The genetic advance was high for No. of grains/ spike and ranged from low to moderate for the remaining yield contributing characters in the three mutant cultivars. The cluster analysis based on the mean performance of grain yield/plant grouped wheat genotypes into three main clusters at 95% similarity. Interestingly, the derived mutants were clustered in separate groups than their mother cultivars (Sids 12, Sakha 94 and Gemmeiza 9). These results confirm the efficiency of the mutagens to induce genetic variations.