Mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of Gamma rays, ethylene imine and N-nitroso-N-ethyl urea in macrosperma lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Seeds of a large seeded lentil cv., Precoz Selection, were treated with three doses each of gamma-rays, ethylene imine (EI) and N-nitroso-N-ethyl urea (NEV). In general, both mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency decreased with increasing doses of mutagens, however, the highest dose of gamma rays and medium doses of the two chemicals were found to be most efficient for inducing mutations. Effectiveness of mutagens differed considerably; NEU was 1.2 and 241 times more effective than EI and gamma rays, respectively. The order of effectiveness of mutagens was: NEU (168.6) >EI (138.6) >gamma rays (0.7). Mutagenic efficiency was not as variable as their effectiveness. However, the trend among the mutagens was similar to that observed for mutagenic effectiveness. NEU showed the highest efficiency (0.38), followed by EI (0.33) and gamma rays (0.31). Thus, NEU was 1.2 and 1.1 times as much efficient as gamma rays and EI, respectively.