CHEMICAL MUTAGENS INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN CHLOROPHYLL MUTANTS AND FLOWER DEVELOPMENT OF CHILLI (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

An attempt was made to compare variability generated through chemical mutagens in capsicum annuum (L.) var. K₁ and to resolve the effects of various concentrations of Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and Diethyl sulfate (DES). Ten levels of EMS (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mM) and DES (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mM) and one respective control were used in this study.  The effect of chemical mutagen on mutagenesis of chilli was conducted to determine the optical concentration for lethal dose (LD₅₀) of the plants and also the effects of induced mutation on the morphology of species. The decrease in chilli germination with increasing concentration of both mutagens could be attributed to the occurrence of seeds without completely developed embryos. Chlorophyll mutants are employed as markers for the evaluation of gene action of mutagenic factors in inducing mutation studies and they are the most frequently observed. Observation showed that flower mutants (trimerous instead of pentamerous), two or three flowers per peduncle, genic male sterility, color intensity of petiole and pedicel and chlorophyll mutants were isolated from different treatments. Results obtained showed that the highest germination percentage was 75.3% from the non-treated seeds (control). In general, 40 and 50 mM of EMS and 25 mM DES had negative effect on the flower development of chilli derived from treated plants