Semidwarf, high yielding and high protein mutants in barley

An induced mutations programme was undertaken in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with the primary objective of developing some semidwarf, short duration, high yielding types as most of the local cultivars grown in Meerut are tall statured with maturity period of 130-140 days. In recent years, the barley crop in this region, particularly at flowering/grain filling stages during February/March, has often been affected by unexpected rains accompanied by gusty winds, resulting in severe lodging of the crop and thereby reduction in crop yields. To combat this problem it is necessary to develop short statured types of barley, which can withstand lodging. If such types are associated with early maturity, that will be of greater help. Dry seeds of three local cultivars of barley 'K-169', 'K-272' and 'DL-281' were irradiated with gamma rays at 100; 200; 300 and 400 Gy. A number of morphological mutants for different plant characters like plant height (dwarfs and semidwarfs), maturity period (early and late maturing), spike density and size (lax panicled and erectoides), high tillering and chlorophyll deficiency (virescent) types were isolated from M2 mutated populations of the three varieties. Among these mutants, one semidwarf mutant (No. 3-20-5) of parent cultivar K-169 is of particular interest because of increased yield and significantly high protein content, besides the short stature