Optimization of Chemical Mutagen Treatment Techniques and Determination of Absorption Dose in Jasminum auriculatum Ecotype “Muthu Mullai” for Inducing Variation

Background: Chemical mutagenesis is one of the effective tools for the induction of variation in plants. The biological effect of the chemical mutagen on plant tissues is determined by the absorption dose which is calculated by the product of the concentration of the mutagen and the treatment duration. Standardizing the treatment conditions for the best possible mutagenesis is the first prerequisite in chemical mutagenesis. Methods: Five concentrations of EMS (5 mM, 10 mM, 15 mM, 20 mM and 25 mM), three treatment durations (1 hr, 2 hr and 3 hr) and two pre-treatment conditions (soaking in water and non-soaking in water) were taken into consideration in the current study to examine the significance of each factor in regulating the mutation and to determine the unknown value of “Absorption dose” from the known survival rate. Result: The present study revealed that pretreatment with water affected the absorption of EMS into plant tissues and an increase in the EMS concentration and treatment duration decreased the survival rate of the cuttings. The study led to the inference that pretreatment of cuttings of Jasminum auriculatum ecotype Muthu Mullai with water for 2 hours and treatment with EMS at different concentrations of EMS ranging from 5 mM to 30 mM for a duration of 2 hours is suggested for higher mutation frequency.