Induction of Novel Agronomic and Biochemical Variations in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) through EMS Mutagenesis for Enhanced Yield and Oil Quality

Abstract

Low genetic variability in the sunflower cultivar has been a bottleneck in the crop improvement programmes of this introduced crop in India; therefore, the generation of novel variations in this crop becomes highly desirable. To address this, a mutagenesis experiment in the sunflower was carried out at Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana (30.9010º N and 75.85.73º E), in which the seeds of inbred line 67B were exposed to the chemical mutagen - EMS (ethyl methane sulfonate) @ 0.1% for four hours, and were grown over for two-generation (M1 and M2), during Kharif 2021 and Rabi 2021. Statistically significant improvements were observed in seed yield, oil content and oleic acid concentrations, with mutants such as M2-380-7 (42.09 g seed yield), M2-358-10 (37.52% oil content), and M2-63-1 (60.62% oleic acid) emerging as promising candidates. K-mean clustering identified two groups of mutants based on agronomic characters and 12 groups of mutants based on biochemical traits. This study highlights the potential of EMS mutagenesis for creating genetic diversity in sunflower and advancing breeding programs. The identified mutants offer practical value for sunflower varietal development and hybrid breeding aimed at improved productivity and oil quality. In conclusion, EMS-induced mutagenesis serves as a valuable tool to overcome genetic bottlenecks and accelerate targeted sunflower improvement.