Induced tiller formation in maize
Adamu, A. Kasim
Air dried seed of an inbred line of corn (Zea mays L.) was
irradiated with gamma rays from a cobalt 60 (60Co) source, and
thermal neutrons (Flux 1.5x104 n.cm2 S-1) at different doses. The
irradiated seed were planted in the field and pots in a complete
randomized block design (CRBD) with four (4) replications.
One of the partially dominant mutants observed, resulting
from gamma rays (60Co) and thermal neutrons, was the formation
of tillers. The result demonstrated variability in the relative
frequency of the number of tillers formed following treatment
with different doses of the same and different mutagens. Plants
observed were classified according to the number of tillers
produced, namely one tiller, two tillers, three tillers (Fig. 2) and
more than three tillers (Fig. 3). The number of tillers increases
with the dose in both gamma rays and thermal neutrons, with the
highest percentages of 40% and 17.33% obtained at the highest
doses of gamma rays and thermal neutrons respectively. However,
less than 1% of the tillers formed in the M1 generation were
recovered in the M2 generation.
Figure 1. An induced tiller mutant with 2-3 tillers.
Figure 2. An induced tiller mutant with more than three (3) tillers.
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