Genetic improvement for oil quality through induced mutagenesis in groundnut Arachis hypogaea L

Abstract

Oils having high oleic acid and reduced linoleic acid are the most stable and desirable newlinefrom nutritional point of view. The present investigation was aimed towards oil quality newlineimprovement in two cultivars (GPBD-4 and TPG-41) of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) newlinethrough induced mutagenesis using chemical (EMS- 0.5%) and physical mutagens, gamma newlinerays (200 and 300 Gy) and was undertaken from 2004 to 2007 at Seed Unit, UAS, Dharwad. newlineMutagen treatment with EMS (0.5%) in GPBD-4 and gamma rays at 300 Gy in TPG- newline41 were found to be effective in increasing the variability for fatty acid content. Greater newlinemagnitude of induced variability was found for oleic acid (37.40%-75.16%), linoleic acid (9.01- newline40.30%) and O/L ratio (0.95-8.34). Mutant, GE-113 (74.48%, 9.17% and 8.12) recorded newlinesignificant increase in oleic acid, reduced linoleic acid and highly increased O/L ratio newlinecompared to control GPBD-4 (50.87%, 29% and 1.76) and far exceeded the O/L ratio newlinereported (3.23) from both national and world germplasm collections. newlineThe correlation studies indicated that there existed highly significant negative newlinecorrelation between oleic acid and palmitc acid, linoleic acid and iodine value and no newlineundesirable association of these with the agronomic traits of economic importance. newlineMutant GE-273 characterized by low O/L ratio (1.16) compared to control (1.76) newlineproduced a very distinct band profile for most of the RAPD primers screened indicating larger newlineextent of alteration in its DNA sequence. newlineThe superior mutants for O/L ratio (94 and 44), pod yield (8 and 11), oil content (10 newlineand 25), protein content (50 and 42), 100-seed weight (45 and 62) from mutant populations of newlineGPBD-4 and TPG-41 respectively were isolated which recorded significant increase newlinecompared to their respective parents. Superior mutants with combined features of newlineproductivity, oil quality and resistance to foliar diseases have been identified that would newlinerevolutionize oil industry and health status of economically poor sections of Indian and global newlinepopulation. newline