Frequency and spectrum of chlorophyll mutants induced in rice by chemical mutagens

Dry seeds of rice varieties ‘T(N)1’, ‘IR 8’ and ‘Sona’, with stabilised moisture content and presoaked in distilled water, were treated with chemical mutagens MMS, dMS, dEMS and dES with the purpose of evaluating chlorophyll mutation frequency and spectrum. In the M2 generation, mutants occurred in 24 lines of 'T(N)1; 94 lines of ‘IR 8’ but only in six of ‘Sona’. They include albino, viridis, xantha and other categories of which viridis was predominant. dES was found to be most effective of all mutagens used in all the three varieties and varietal differences were observed.