Induced mutations of plant breeding interest in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Cultivar HBL 87, grown in Himachal Pradesh under rain fed conditions, suffered from certain inherent defects viz., weak straw, hulled and stiff awns. Therefore, mutation breeding programme was initiated to rectify these defects. The present endeavour was successful in obtaining lodging resistant lines. These mutants breed true in M3 and M4 generations, indicating that dominant gene (M) has mutated to recessive gene (m). Besides, other mutations of plant breeding interest like dwarf, erectoides, compactoides, early maturing, profuse tillering, thick culm, dark-green leaf and broad-leaf were also induced in different treatments (10, 20 and 30 kR) of gamma rays. However, short awned and clustered lower inter nodes mutants appeared to be new, whereas the others were reported earlier in the literature. (author). 4 refs., 1 tab