A field experiment was carried out at Horticulture Farm, Department of Horticulture, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan in year 2023, to study the “Mutagenic effect of sodium azide on morphological parameter of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)”. Cowpea cv. Pusa Dharni, including germination percentage, days to 50% flowering, leaf length, leaf width, pod length, pod diameter, and lethality. The germination percentages varied among treatments, as compared to control (SA11) and sodium azide (0.01%) exhibiting the highest values (93% and 90% respectively), while SA10 (0.1%) had the lowest (40%). The control SA3 (0.03%) and SA2 (0.02%) treatments resulted in earlier flowering, while higher level SA10 (0.1%) showed delayed flowering. Leaf length and width were significantly influenced by SA3 and SA2 treatments with SA10 exhibiting the narrowest leaves. Pod length and diameter were increases in treatment SA3, SA2, and SA4 level, while the higher lethality was observed in the SA10 (0.1%) over the control and other treatment level.

Mutagenic, Sodium Azide, Cowpea, Pusa Dharni, and Lethality

In conclusion was found that the control treatment (SA11 - Control) performed well in terms of germination percentage, days to 50% flowering, leaf length, leaf width, pod length, and pod diameter in cowpea cv. Pusa Dharni. Among the other treatments, SA1 - SA @ 0.01 showed comparable performance in terms of germination percentage and lethality, while SA3 - SA @ 0.03 exhibited early flowering and favorable leaf, pod length, and pod diameter. On the other hand, SA10 - SA @ 0.1 showed the lowest germination percentage and highest lethality. These findings highlight the importance of proper concentration and application of sodium azide in cowpea cultivation. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and to optimize the dosage and timing of sodium azide application to maximize desired growth parameters and minimize lethality in cowpea cv. Pusa Dharni.

Kumari N., Mahawer L.N., Bairwa H.L., Babu S.R., Jain D., Singh D.P. and Pandwala N. (2023). Mutagenic effect of Sodium Azide on Morphological Parameters of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 419-423.