QUANTITATIVE TRAIT VARIATIONS THROUGH CHEMICAL MUTAGENESIS IN SESAME ( Sesamum indicum. L).

Abstract:

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is considered to be an ancient oil seed crop to generate high quality edible oil having nutritional and health related value but still at an early stage in breeding. Its chromosome number is 2n=26 and it belongs to the Pedaliaceae family and having significant economic value globally as well as in Ethiopia.With the objective of broadening the gene pool of sesame an experiment was conducted in the genetics and molecular biology laboratory as well as agricultural research field of Haramaya University employing factorial CRD experimental setup. In this experiment Healthy and Dry seeds of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), varieties, Abasena and Kelafo74, obtained from werer agricultural research institute were treated with sodium azide and hydroxyl amine hydrochloride at ascending mutagen concentrations of 0.01, 0.02,0.03,0.04 and 0.05 % targeted at determining the effects of the chemical mutagens to promote genetic variability in terms of the agro morphological parameters of sesame. Highly significant differences (P