Ethyl Methanesulphonate-Induced High Oleic Acid Mutants in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Abstract

The oil of Indian genotypes of safflower is rich in linoleic acid, which is less desirable than the oil that is rich in oleic acid. Hence, an investigation was undertaken to widen the variability for isolating high oleic acid mutants of an Indian variety ‘Bhima’ through induced mutagenesis. We report the isolation of high oleic acid mutants of safflower induced by ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) treatment. Three such mutants were isolated from an M₂ population of 15,403 plants. The oleic acid content in these mutants and their progenies was much higher than that in the parent variety Bhima. The mutants segregated in M₃ and M₄ generations. Increased oleic acid content of the mutants was associated with an obvious decrease in their linoleic acid content. Further, in M₄ generation, two high oleic acid progenies, viz. 48-17-13-1 and 48-17-14-3, having high palmitic acid content were also isolated.

KEYWORDS:

• crop improvement
• induced mutagenesis
• linoleic acid
• oil quality
• palmitic acid

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors also thank to Mr. Vinod Choudhary, NA&BTD, BARC, Mumbai, for fatty acid analysis and Dr. S. E. Pawar, Retd. Scientist, BARC, Mumbai, for his suggestions during the present study.

Additional information

Funding

ADC and RSB are thankful to DAE-BRNS for the financial support to carry out the present investigation (No. 2009/35/15/BRNS/3280).