Effectiveness and efficiency of electron beam in comparison with gamma rays and ethyl methane sulfonate mutagens in cowpea

Vijayakumar Eswaramoorthy; Thangaraj Kandasamy; Kalaimagal Thiyagarajan; Chockalingam Vanniarajan; Souframanien Jegadeesan

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109640

Effectiveness and efficiency of electron beam in comparison with gamma rays and ethyl methane sulfonate mutagens in cowpea

Appl Radiat Isot. 2021 May:171:109640. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109640. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Authors

Vijayakumar Eswaramoorthy¹, Thangaraj Kandasamy², Kalaimagal Thiyagarajan³, Chockalingam Vanniarajan⁴, Souframanien Jegadeesan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, India. Electronic address: evijayakumar06@yahoo.com.
² Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai, 625 104, India. Electronic address: ka.thangaraj@gmail.com.
³ Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641 003, India. Electronic address: kalaimagal.t@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, 625 104, India. Electronic address: vanniarajan.c@tnau.ac.in.
⁵ Nuclear Agriculture & Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India. Electronic address: souf@barc.gov.in.

PMID: 33639325
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109640

Abstract

Cowpea is the poor man's crop that lacks variability due to its autogamous nature. Induced mutation serves as a potential source in the induction of variability in crops. On the other hand, the effectiveness and efficiency of mutagens will vary between species and even varieties. In the present study, a novel mutagen electron beam was used in cowpea for the first time along with commonly used mutagens gamma rays (physical) and ethyl methanesulfonate (chemical). The biological damages on eight quantitative characters in M1 generation and chlorophyll mutants in M2 generation were recorded. Two popular varieties viz., P 152 and VBN 1 constituted as the biological material of study. The rate of reduction in biological damage on quantitative characters was directly proportional to the dose of mutagen irrespective of the varieties and mutagens used. Physical mutagens showed the highest biological damage (EB- 37.5% and G- 37.3% overall reduction from control) than chemical mutagen (EMS- 30.4%). Comparing the physical mutagens at similar doses, 200 Gy or 300 Gy of electron beam showed more biological damage than 200 Gy or 300 Gy of gamma rays. Eleven different types of chlorophyll mutants were identified in the M2 generation. Xantha is the most occurred chlorophyll mutants (44.44%), while aurea and yellow viridis have least occurred mutants. Chemical mutagen (EMS) is considered to be the most effective (6.47%) and efficient mutagen (27.09%) based on the chlorophyll mutants and it was followed by an electron beam and gamma rays. Among the physical mutagens, electron beam showed the highest biological damage (37.50% overall reduction from control) and higher effectiveness and efficiency (3.80% and 23.38%) compared to gamma rays (1.87% and 13.38%). Hence, the electron beam can also be used as an effective mutagen in creating variation in cowpea and other crops as it is highly effective, cost less and safe mutagen.

Keywords: Cowpea; Effectiveness; Efficiency; Electron beam; Ethyl methane sulfonate; Gamma rays.

MeSH terms

Electrons
Ethyl Methanesulfonate* / pharmacology
Gamma Rays
Methane
Mutagens* / pharmacology
Mutation*
Ultraviolet Rays
Vigna* / drug effects

Substances

Mutagens
Ethyl Methanesulfonate
Methane