~ 1405 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2018; 7(4): 1405-1410 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2018; 7(4): 1405-1410 Received: 09-05-2018 Accepted: 13-06-2018 Maruti Pawar PhD Scholar, Department of Plant Pathology JNKVV Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh, India OM Gupta PhD Scholar, Department of Plant Pathology JNKVV Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh, India Devashish Chobe PhD Scholar, Department of Plant Pathology JNKVV Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh, India Correspondence Maruti Pawar PhD Scholar, Department of Plant Pathology JNKVV Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh, India Use of induced mutation for the resistance against Dry root rot in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) in M1 generation Maruti Pawar, OM Gupta and Devashish Chobe Abstract Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important cool-season food legume grown extensively by the poor farmers throughout the Indian subcontinent. In India chickpea is being grown in 8.32 million hectare with production of 9.8 million tones and 925 - kg/ha productivity (Project coordinators report, 2014-16). The Dry root rot (DRR) of chickpea caused by necrotropic fungus Rhizoctonia bataticola. During the past few decades, modern techniques such as mutation breeding by radiation and chemical mutagens and genetic engineering methodology have been tried to develop resistant cultivars of many crop plants. The utilization of mutation breeding is a simple, less cost full and time saving method. Present investigation entitled “Radiation induced mutation for resistance against Rhizoctonia bataticola in chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn.)” was aimed at identification of suitable mutant or a combination of mutants influencing resistance to dry root rot in chickpea. The experimental material was consisted of the population of three selected cultivars of chickpea (JG 63, JG 74, and JG 130) grown in randomized complete block design in the Seed Breeding Farm, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Jabalpur (M.P) under AICRP on chickpea project during Rabi 2014-16. Dry seeds (10-12% moisture content) of these varieties were irradiated with different doses of gamma rays (150Gy, 200Gy and 400 GY). Another set of presoaked seeds in distilled water (12hrs.) were treated with ethyl methane sulphonate at different concentration (0.3, 0.4 and 0.5%) prepared for 6 hrs. A portion of seeds irradiated at 150 and 200 GY gamma- ray doses were also treated with 0.3% and 0.4% EMS independently for 6 hrs. present findings revealed that JG 63, JG 74, JG 130 showed significant reaction for mutagenic treatments i.e, 200Gy, 400Gy, 0.3% EMS, 0.4% EMS, 150Gy+0.3% EMS, 200Gy+0.3% EMS. Among 11 treatments, 7 have shown effect on biological traits of experimental genotypes i.e. change in seedling height, decrease in germination percentage and decrease in plant height as compared to control. Keywords: Rhizoctonia bataticola, gamma- ray, EMS, Cicer arietinum L. Introduction Chickpea is a cool season pulse crop and is grown in several countries worldwide as a food source. Chickpea is the third most important food legume crop and India is the largest producer contributing to 65% of world’s chickpea production. The improvement of chickpea using conventional breeding approaches has been hampered due to lack of sufficient genetic variability. Mutagenesis is a common and efficient tool to create new desirable genetic variability in chickpea [1] . The use of ionizing radiation such as, x-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons and chemical mutagens for inducing variation is well established. Induced mutation have been used to improve major crop which are seed propagated. Mutation can be linked to changes in DNA sequences for some plant traits and to establish molecular maps in structural and functional genomics of crop plants. These in turn would lead to a rapid enhancement of crop yields and quality [2] . Material and Methods The experiment was carried out under AICRP- Chickpea, at seed breeding farm, Adhartal, JNKVV, Jabalpur (M.P.) during rabi 2014-16. Temperature extremes vary between minimum temperature of 2 o C in December and January months to maximum temperature of 45 o C in May and June months. The average annual rainfall mostly received between mid - June to first week of October with occasional showers in limited quantum during the winter months, ranges between 1000-1500 mm. The relative humidity remains minimum 20 to 35% during summer and medium 40 to 60% during winter season, while it attains maximum values of 80 to 95% during rainy season. Chickpea seeds of JG 130, JG 63, and JG 74 entries/ varieties were collected from healthy plants at maturity stage of the crop from AICRP on chickpea located at seed breeding farm J.N.K.V.V., Jabalpur. Gamma irradiation has been performed (Nuclear Research Laboratory IARI, New Delhi) in gamma chamber by exposing the seeds to the