Mutagenic Effects of Sodium Azide (Nan3) On Morphological Characteristics Of Tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum)

Abstract

This study was conducted to examining genetic variability caused by the mutagenic effects of different concentrations of Sodium azide (NaN3)on tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) within a short time. Air dried seeds of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) variety T106 was presoaked in distilled water for six hours and then treated with equal volume (20ml) of Sodium Azide (NaN3) at 1.0, 0.5, 0.1, and 0.05 percent in Phosphate buffer of PH7 for 4hrs. The treated and untreated seeds were sown in wooden box containing soil with three replicates in a complete randomized block design and kept in the Laboratory. Four week-old seedlings were transplanted to the field in the Biological garden at IBB University Lapai, Nigeria in the month of May, 2011. Various preliminary observations from seedling to maturity were made and recorded. All data obtained were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the means thereof separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results showed that the morphological growth parameters such as germination percentage, seedling height, seedling survival, number of leaves per seedling, height at maturity, number of leaves per plant and yield per plant were found to decrease with increasing dose of sodium azide concentrations. The results also revealed that lower concentration (0.05% concentration) gave the best performance in all the parameters studied. Sodium azide at lower concentration could be utilized to increase variability in tomato that would ultimately increases the possibility of isolating beneficial mutants for improvement of tomato production.