Fenugreek is a leafy vegetable as well as a spice, charged with medicinal properties. Owing to its inbreeding nature and traditional selection-based breeding methods adopted in the past, the available genetic variability available in the crop has become shrunken. Mutagenesis is a well-recognized tool to expand genetic variability. This investigation involves mutagenesis in fenugreek cv. Rmt-1 with physical (gamma rays) and chemical mutagens (EMS) and their combinations. The mutation frequency, mutagenic effectiveness and mutagenic efficiency based on lethality and injury of the seedlings were calculated for the gamma rays, EMS and their combination doses. The low and moderate doses of both gamma rays and EMS were found more effective than the higher doses. The highest doses of gamma rays and EMS with longer treatment duration resulted in the highest biological damage as lethality and injury of the seedling (220 Gy + EMS 0.30 % @ 8 hours). In the chemical mutagenic treatments, a longer duration hampered the effectiveness of the mutagens. The combination of gamma rays and EMS at lower and moderate doses expressed its worth to create higher mutation frequency by manifesting higher efficiency than the individual mutagens single-handed. The mutagenic efficiency based on lethality and seedling injury were maximum under  60 Gy + EMS 0.30% @ 6 h and EMS 0.25% @ 6 hours as 0.84 and 0.79, respectively. The interaction and influence of the individual mutagens in combinations were studied by the coefficient of interaction (k) and their interaction was found to be synergistic in nature.

Induced mutation, Gamma rays, EMS, Fenugreek, M2 population, mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency.

The present investigation was carried out to study the plant response as mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of fenugreek cv. Rmt-1. Among the gamma rays, EMS and their combinations, EMS treatments were found to be more effective in mutagenicity. The combined treatments with both physical and chemical mutagens are found highly efficient with low biological damage. The effectiveness and efficiency of the mutagens were found to be declining with an increase in the mutagen dose. The moderate doses are found more effective and efficient than the higher doses. The longer treatment duration recorded the maximum biological damage and the lower effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, optimum treatment duration is recommended. The determination of mutational frequency, effectiveness and efficiency enables appropriate decisions on the mutagenic doses for the future works.

Jyothsna J., Reena Nair, S.K. Pandey and A.K. Mehta (2022). Determination of Mutagenic Effectiveness and Efficiency of Gamma Rays and EMS in Fenugreek cv. Rmt-1. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(2): 517-523.