Screening of M2 and M3 mutants of rice against bacterial leaf blight

Abstract

A study was held at N. E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre during the kharif season of 2018-19, 2019-2020 and 2020-21. The seeds of various basmati and non-basmati lines were irradiated with ϒ rays at NBRI, Lucknow in 2018-19. The seeds were grown in the same year, the observed viability was less than 99.7 % (M1). The seeds were very meagre and so they were collected and grown in the kharif season of 2019-20. In this generation a screening test for examining BLB resistance was conducted. Resistant mutants were identified in the M2 generation. Similarly, the seeds obtained from M2 were grown as the M3 generation and again screening was done for the BLB. Some mutants were identified which revealed resistance and could be used in the future breeding program for the alleviation of disease susceptibility and catering resistance.