Abstract

Seeds of 'Jadia' variety of mothbean (Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq) Marechal) were treated with aqueous solution of 0.3% Ethyl Methane Sulphonate (EMS). Four mutants having dark brown seed coat colour, increased number of pods and early in maturity with varying plant characteristics were isolated in M 2. The mutants were studied further upto M 6 generation and the segregation not conforming to the mutant plant types were discarded and tested during kharif along with parent and superior checks. It was observed that mutants JMM-DBS-1, JMM-DBS-2 and JMM-DBS-3 consistently maintained their superiority in early maturity, higher number of pods per plant and maintained dark brown seed coat colour as compared to its parent Jadia and check Jwala having buff seed coat colour under varying rainfall situations. It is suggested that these JMM-DBS-mutants could be utilized as genetic marker in future hybridization programmes.

Keywords: Moth bean, Mutant, Seed Coat