Assessment on induced genetic variability and divergence in the mutagenized lentil populations of microsperma and macrosperma cultivars developed using physical and chemical mutagenesis

<div><p>Induced mutagenesis was employed to create genetic variation in the lentil cultivars for yield improvement. The assessments were made on genetic variability, character association, and genetic divergence among the twelve mutagenized populations and one parent population of each of the two lentil cultivars, developed by single and combination treatments with gamma rays and hydrazine hydrates. Analysis of variance revealed significant inter-population differences for the observed quantitative phenotypic traits. The sample mean of six treatment populations in each of the cultivar exhibited highly superior quantitative phenotypic traits compared to their parent cultivars. The higher values of heritability and genetic advance with a high genotypic coefficient of variation for most of the yield attributing traits confirmed the possibilities of lentil yield improvement through phenotypic selection. The number of pods and seeds per plant appeared to be priority traits in selection for higher yield due to their strong direct association with yield. The cluster analysis divided the total populations into three divergent groups in each lentil cultivar with parent genotypes in an independent group showing the high efficacy of the mutagens. Considering the highest contribution of yield trait to the genetic divergence among the clustered population, it was confirmed that the mutagenic treatments created a wide heritable variation for the trait in the mutant populations. The selection of high yielding mutants from the mutant populations of DPL 62 (100 Gy) and Pant L 406 (100Gy + 0.1% HZ) in the subsequent generation is expected to give elite lentil cultivars. Also, hybridization between members of the divergent group would produce diverse segregants for crop improvement. Apart from this, the induced mutations at loci controlling economically important traits in the selected high yielding mutants have successfully contributed in diversifying the accessible lentil genetic base and will definitely be of immense value to the future lentil breeding programmes in India.</p></div

Interpopulation proximity matrix based on squared Euclidean distance in the different populations of cv. DPL 62 and cv. Pant L 406.

<p>Interpopulation proximity matrix based on squared Euclidean distance in the different populations of cv. DPL 62 and cv. Pant L 406.</p

Estimates of mean values, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV %), broad sense heritability (<i>h</i>^<i>2</i><i>bs</i> %) and genetic advance as % of the mean (GA %) for six quantitative traits in the M₂ generation of lentil cultivar Pant L 406.

<p>Estimates of mean values, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV %), broad sense heritability (<i>h</i>^<i>2</i><i>bs</i> %) and genetic advance as % of the mean (GA %) for six quantitative traits in the M₂ generation of lentil cultivar Pant L 406.</p

Estimates of mean values, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV %), broad sense heritability (<i>h</i>^<i>2</i><i>bs</i> %) and genetic advance as % of the mean (GA %) for six quantitative traits in the M₃generation of lentil cultivars DPL 62 and Pant L 406.

<p>Estimates of mean values, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV %), broad sense heritability (<i>h</i>^<i>2</i><i>bs</i> %) and genetic advance as % of the mean (GA %) for six quantitative traits in the M₃generation of lentil cultivars DPL 62 and Pant L 406.</p

Agglomerative graph of two lentil cultivars for determining number of clusters.

<p>Agglomerative graph of two lentil cultivars for determining number of clusters.</p

Dendrogram of lentil population clustering based on ten quantitative traits.

<p>Dendrogram of lentil population clustering based on ten quantitative traits.</p

Characteristic means of three cluster groups of thirteen lentil populations.

<p>Characteristic means of three cluster groups of thirteen lentil populations.</p

Principal components analysis showing the contribution of ten quantitative traits among the lentil populations.

<p>Principal components analysis showing the contribution of ten quantitative traits among the lentil populations.</p

Pearson’s correlation coefficients of different quantitative traits with respect to yield in the two lentil cultivars.

<p>Pearson’s correlation coefficients of different quantitative traits with respect to yield in the two lentil cultivars.</p