Vol. 8 No. (1): 142 - 150 (2017): MUTAGENIC EFFECTS OF FAST NEUTRON IRRADIATION ON SOME GROWTH AND YIELD PARAMETERS AT M1 and M2 OFLIMA BEAN (Phaseolus lunatus Linn.)

The studies of induced mutation in Phaseolus lunatus L. was conducted at the botanical
garden, Department of Botany, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Dry healthy seeds of P.
lunatus obtained from local farmers with in Zaria were exposed to Fast Neutron irradiation
at different doses (0.00Sv, 0.16Sv, 0.32Sv, 0.49Sv and 0.65Sv). The irradiated seeds were
sown in 150 polythene bags which were half filled with soil and arranged using a
Randomized Complete Block design. The result of this studies showed both positive and
negative shift in agronomic characters with plants exposed to lower doses (0.16Sv and
0.32Sv) showing better performance in most agronomic trait in both mutagenic
generations while higher dose (0.65Sv) recorded the least performance in most agronomic
traits. Chlorophyll mutants such as Zonata, Xantha and Maculata as well as Morphological
mutants which includes invaginated leaf margins, bifurcated leaf apex and bifoilate leaves
were observed. However, lower doses (0.16Sv and 0.32Sv) of the mutagen were more
favourable in inducing beneficial mutation on the growth and yield trait of P. lunatus. The
effect of the mutagen was significant at p≤0.05 in plant height 4 weeks after sowing, days
to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, pod length, pod diameter, pod weight and 100
seeds weight.