Butter beans or Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus L.), is an herbaceous plant of the leguminaceae family rich in protein, vitamins B and C, and various minerals including iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Owing to its cleistogamous nature, mutation breeding was effectively utilized for creation of variability and to improve the yield and other polygenic characters. The experimental material comprised of 35 M3 mutants along with the check variety KKL-1. The M3 mutant lines were grown in RBD with three replications at Horticultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kodaikanal. The data collected from individual mutants along with check were subjected to statistical analysis to calculate mean significance of mutants and genetic parameters using TNAUSTAT. Among 35 mutants, 20 mutants showed significant mean values for plant height compared to local check variety KKL 1. Eight mutants recorded the highest leaves per plant (26.00). The mutant BBM18 and BBM34 recorded the highest number of pods per plant (40.00). BBM1, BBM5, BBM18 and BM25 recorded the highest pod girth. Whereas BBM 7 was identified as early flowering and early maturity mutant.

Butter beans, mutants, variability, genetic parameters

From the above observations, it is evident that the physical mutagen has created variation in chromosome level in the M3 progenies which lead to the evolution of new beneficial mutant mutants. The mean value observed for different traits in M3 generation led to identification of a dwarf mutant line BBM35 recorded a very low plant height, BBM25 exhibited taller plant, an early mutant line BBM7 and a high yielding mutant line BBM18 were forwarded to M4 generation.

B. Senthamizh Selvi, D. Sathiyaraj, J. Rajangam, M. Mohanalakshmi, R. Nageswari and D. Mastan Vali (2023). Variability for Growth, Yield and Yield Attributing Characters in M3 Generation Mutants of Butter Beans (Phaseolus lunatus L) var. KKL-1. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 210-215.