Assessment of Mutagenicity of Individual and Combination Treatments of Gamma Rays and MMS in Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Seeds of Vicia faba L. var. PRT-12 were subjected to different doses/concentrations of gamma rays and methyl methane sulphonate (MMS) individually as well as in combination. The effect of different mutagenic treatments on meiosis and pollen fertility has been studied in M1 generation. Various types of meiotic aberrations and reduction in pollen fertility were observed in all the treatments. However, the combination treatments proved to be more effective in inducing meiotic aberrations and reduction in pollen fertility as compared to individual ones. Moreover, the frequency of meiotic aberrations was at its maximum at metaphase followed by anaphase and telophase stages.