Comparative effect of individual and sequential treatment of gamma rays and sodium azide in Vigna unguiculata

摘要

An attempt has been made to study the potential of mutagenic effects of gamma rays and sodium azide (NaN₃) on the meiotic cells of Vigna unguiculata (cowpea). Cowpea being a self-pollinated vegetable crop has very limited genetic variability therefore induced mutation can provide additional source of mutation in recent plant breeding programmes. Chromosomal aberrations like unorientation, multivalents, laggards, bridges, micronuclei, stickiness and precocious movement etc. were noticed in mutagen treated populations. Chromosomal aberrations were found to be correlated with the concentrations of physical and chemical mutagens individually as well as in combination. On the basis of our experimental results it can be concluded that the combined treatment proved to be more effective in inducing abnormalities and pollen sterility as compared to individual treatment sets.