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Ethyl methanesulfonate induced variation in qualitative and quantitative characters of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) (Malvaceae)

K.R. Vaidya; M.M. Young

Department of Botany, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica (W.I.)

ABSTRACT

Seeds of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) cvs. Jamaican Red (JR) and Jamaican Green (JG) were presoaked for four hours in distilled water and treated with 0.0%, 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) for 8 hours and 0.0%, 0.6% and 0.8% EMS for 6 hours, respectively, in order to induce variation in qualitative and quantitative characters. lu the M₁ generation, germination and survival percentage of both cultivars decreased, whereas semisterility increased with increased EMS concentration. Chlorophyll and viable mutations were found in both cultivars. Three morphological mutations, namely, chlorophyll deficient, rosette-dwarf and non-serrated leaf margin, were isolated from the cultivar JG for genetic studies. The estimates of mean, range and variance for days to flowering, plant height and capsule number per plant in both cultivars indicated that EMS was effective in inducing useful variation in quantitative characters for the genetic improvement of roselle.

Keywords: Ethyl methanesulfonate; Hibiscus sabdarfa; Malvaceae.

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