ZARIA NIGERIA
Ahmadu Bello University
Induced multiple ear mutants in popcorn (Z. mays var. praecox Sturt.) --Adamu, AK The study was carried out with the objective of inducing beneficial mutants. Air dried seed of popcorn (Z. mays var. praecox Sturt.) was irradiated with gamma-rays cobalt 60 at the following doses 10, 20, 30, 40, and 400Gy and Thermal Neutrons (5 curie 241AM/Be neutron source flux 1.5 x 104n.cm-2S-1) at 25, 40, 50, 60 minutes and 12 hours. Result obtained indicated an increase in the number of ear induced per plant in both M1 and M2 generations and the increase was in direct proportion to the dose for both gamma-rays and thermal neutrons. The number of ears induced in the M1 generation ranges from zero (none) to five and in some, up to 6 ears per plant. The frequency of occurrence in the M2 generation of these mutants was relatively low when compared with the M1 generation.
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