Studies on induction of chlorophyll mutations in soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill

The phenotypic response of two soybean cultivars to a chemical mutagen (ethyl methane sulphonate, EMS), physical mutagen (gamma rays) and their combinations were studied in M1 and M2 generations and the frequency and spectrum of chlorophyll mutations were worked out. Combined treatment was found to be more effective in inducing chlorophyll mutations compared to individual treatments of gamma rays and EMS in both the cultivars. As far as the spectrum of chlorophyll mutations is concerned, a wider spectrum in both the cultivars was observed in 45 kR + 0.2% EMS combined treatment.