Abstract

                                Two short duration rice varieties ADT 31 and Co 33 were subjected to induced mutagenesis with three doses each in gamma rays and EMS with a view to findout the economic potentiality of viable mutants and to study the nature of Induced variability in M2 generation. Significant shift in the mean value was observed in different mutagen treatments for all characters except panicle length In ADT 31 and Co 33. The mean plant height decreased in Co 33. Grain yield significantly increased in all the three mutagen treatments with gamma rays in Co 33. The genotypic variance in M2 was of higher magnitude in most of the treatments. as compared with the control. High heritability combined with higher genetic advance was observed in all the treated populations for plant height, productive tillers and plant yield except 120mM EMS treated population in Co 33 indicating that the induced genetic variation was due to additive effect. The magnitude and heritable portion of the induced variations differed with the genotype, character and mutagen.

Key words : Rice, Induced mutagenesis