International Journal of Applied

and Natural Sciences (IJANS)

ISSN(P): 2319-4014; ISSN(E): 2319-4022
Vol. 7, Issue 5, Aug - Sep 2018; 33-40
© IASET

INDUCE MUTATION BREEDING FOR DOWNEY MILDEW

TOLERANCE IN ISABGOL (PLANTAGO OVATA FORSK.)

Dinesh Kumar Jain1 & S. K. Jain2

1
Plant Manager, Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation Ltd, Baran, Rajasthan, India
2
Associate Professor, College of Agriculture, Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, Rajasthan, India

ABSTRACT

Twenty four mutagenic progenies of isabgolwere selected from different families of M2 generation of gamma rays
irradiated variety RI 89. These lines were grown in a sick plot along with infector rowsin randomized block design with
three replications at the experimental farm of Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. The observations were recorded
on stage of disease occurrence (crop age), per cent disease index andtotal phenolic compounds in leaves at 55, 75 and 95
DAS. The observations for other quantitative and qualitative characters were also recorded. Out of 24 lines 14 lines
showed disease resistance to downy mildew. It was also noted that disease tolerant lines were having a higher
concentration of total phenolic compounds in leaves. Further, with increasing severity of disease the depletion of total
phenolic compound in leaves was less intolerant lines. In the present study it is clear that total phenolic compounds in
leaves play an important role in disease resistance and reducing the downy mildew disease of the host plants. The 4 mutant
lines viz., L7, L19, L2 and L15 were having less than 8 percent disease infestation and may be used for developing downy
mildew disease tolerant varieties for commercial cultivation.

KEWWORDS: Isabgol, Mutation Breeding, Phenolic Compounds, Disease Index

Article History
Received: 26 Jul 2018| Revised: 30 Jul 2018 | Accepted: 01 Aug 2018

INTRODUCTION

Isabgol or Blond Psyllium (PlantagoovataForsk.) is a winter season medicinal plant. It belongs to the family
ofPlantaginaceae and genus Plantago.The seeds of psyllium are mainly valued for mucilaginous rosy white husk which
have been used in the indigenous medicines for many centuries (Singh and Virmani, 1982 and Lalet al., 1998).In recent
years, the demand of isabgol has been increased in the western countries and it is traded in the major medicinal drug
market of the world. In India it is cultivated traditionally in north Gujarat and south western Rajasthan. India holds a
monopoly in the production and export of isabgol to the world market. The productivity of isabgol is far below the desired
level and India is not able to meet the global demand. If India is to retain monopoly in production and export of this
important foreign exchange earning commodity, then intensive efforts will have to be made to breed high yielding varieties
with good swelling capacity of husk and tolerant to downy mildew disease. Downy mildew of Isabgol is most important
and endemic disease in Rajasthan. It is caused by Pseudoperonosporaplantaginisin southern Rajasthan and
Peronosporaalta in western Rajasthan. It occurs in all isabgol growing areas and causes considerable loss and an increase

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34 Dinesh Kumar Jain & S. K. Jain

in disease intensity was found directly correlated with the reduction in the seed yield. Available varieties of isabgol are
lacking in tolerance to downy mildew disease.

Looking to the flower morphology and breeding behavior of isabgol, mutation breeding appears to be the only
way of inducing genetic variability and thereafter significant improvement can be achieved. The prime strategy in mutation
based breeding is to upgrade the well-adapted plant varieties by altering one or two major traits, which improve their
productivity or enhance their quality and value (Ahloowaliaet al., 2004).

The present study was undertaken by using RI-89 variety of isabgol as the base material. The RI-89 variety is well
adapted to the climatic condition of south west Rajasthan, but it is susceptible to downy mildew disease caused by
Pernosporaplantaginisresulting in the drastic loss in the yield. Different graded doses of gamma rays were used to induce
the genetic variability toidentify and isolate high yielding and downy mildew disease tolerant lines in M3 generation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The seed material used in the present investigation was RI-89 variety of isabgol. Which is somewhat early and
well adapted to the climatic conditions of south west Rajasthan, but susceptible to downy mildew disease. Two generation
self-fed dry seeds of this variety were irradiated with nine doses of gamma rays viz., 15 kR, 30 kR, 45 kR, 60 kR, 75 kR,
90 kR, 105kR, 120 kR and 135 kR at the Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi is
60
using Co as a source of gamma rays. M1, M2 and M3 generations were raised in the Experimental farm of Rajasthan
College of Agriculture, Udaipur. Irradiated seeds of each treatment were sown in the field, along with the control in
randomized block design with three replications to rise M1 generation. Each treatment was planted in four rows of two
meter length at 30 cm apart, each line having about 40 plants at 5 cm inter plant distance. Normal appearing twenty plants
selected at random and self-fed in each treatment in M1 generation were advanced to raise the M2 generation in compact
family block design with three replications. Each treatment was taken as family and within treatment the individual plant
was taken as progeny. Progenies were sown in single row plot of four meters length at 30 cm apart. The plant-to-plant
distance was 10 cm. All the recommended agronomical practices were adopted to raise the healthy crop. No fungicide was
used on the crop to assess the disease infestation. For assessment of downy mildew disease a score of 0-5 scale was used.
Five plants were selected and tagged in each progeny and disease ratings were taken on 0-5 scale for each plant at 90 days
after sowing (DAS). The disease index was calculated by using the formula of Wheeler (1969).Based on disease index 24
plants of different families having no infestation of downy mildew at 90 DAS were selected, self-fed and harvested
separately to raise M3 generation. Observations on various quantitative and qualitative characters were also recorded of
selected plants. In M3 generation experiment was conducted to screen and confirm the disease reaction of 24 downy
mildew disease free plants selected in M2 generation. The 24 plant progenies and a susceptible check, RI 89 were grown in
a sick plot along with infector rows. The sick plot was prepared by the artificial inoculation of disease residues collected
from the last year's crop. The bulk seeds of highly susceptible/infected progenies for downy mildew disease in M2
generation were used as infector rows. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with three replications.
Each plot had four meter row length placed at 30 cm apart. The infector rows were sown before and after every two rows
of testing lines. All the agronomical practices except spray of fungicides for controlling the disease were followed to raise
a good crop. The observations were recorded on stage of disease occurrence (crop age), per cent disease index at 55, 75
and 95 DAS and total phenolic compounds in the leaves at 55, 75 and 95 DAS (mg/g). Apart from the above characters,
observations were also recorded on other quantitative and qualitative characters. The analysis of variance was done as per

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.0273 NAAS Rating 3.73

Induce Mutation Breeding for Downey Mildew Tolerance in Isabgol (PlantagoOvataForsk.) 35

the method suggested by Panse and Sukhatme, 1978.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

From the M2progenies,24 plants having zero disease infestation were retained to evaluate in M3 generation. The
magnitudes of various quantitative characters of these selected plants are presented in the Table 1. Under completely
disease free plants the maximum 5 plants were from 120 kR family followed by 105 kR, 75 kR, 60 kR and 30 kR(4 plants
from each family). Seed yield per plant ranged from 3.87 gm to 13.65 gm with an average yield of 7.92 gm.The other traits
of these plants were also having higher values than control.

In M3 generation, 24 disease free plants were evaluated in plant to progeny row along with a susceptible check,
RI-89. Analysis of variancerevealed that the testing lines have significant difference among them for all the characters
studied (Table 2). Table 3 revealed that downy mildew disease appearance was first reported in control at 43.33 DAS and it
was delayed significantly in 12 lines. The maximum delaying in the disease appearance was observed in the line 7 (71.67
DAS). Three lines viz., L2, L7 and L10 were completely free from downy mildew disease at 55 DAS. At this stage the
overall disease infestation was 6.15 per cent. The disease infestation increased in all the lines with crop age and at 75 DAS
the average disease infestation recorded was upto 16.88 per cent. However, L7 was free from disease at this stage. With an
increase in crop age, severity of disease increased and it reached to 75.33 percent in control at 95 DAS. At this stage, 14
lines had shown a tolerant reaction to downy mildew disease in which disease infestation was below 20 per cent. The
minimum disease index at this stage was in L7 (4%). The phenolic compound in leaves at 55 DAS ranged from 0.16 mg/g
(L9) to 0.62 mg/g (L22) with an overall mean of 0.34 mg/g. It increased with crop age in all the lines with an overall mean
of 0.37 mg/g with a range from 0.21 mg/g (L6, L9 & L11) to 0.56 mg/g (L19) at 75 DAS. But thereafter it started to
decline and it was 0.30 mg/g at 95 DAS. It was maximum in L19 (0.52 mg/g) followed by L2 (0.45mg/g), L16, L22 and
L23 (0.43 mg/g) at 95 DAS.A view of normal and downy mildew disease infested plant and field view of downy mildew
disease resistant and susceptible lines are presented in the Figure 1 and 2, respectively.

It was interesting to note that disease tolerant lines were having a higher concentration of total phenolic
compounds in leaves. Further, with increasing severity of disease the depletion of total phenolic compound in leaves was
less intolerant lines. The decrease in total phenols in mung bean infected with Rhizoctoniasolani was also reported by
Arora (1983), while Luthraet al. (1988a) observed the increase in total phenolic compound after disease infection. Lily and
Ramadasan (1979) and Sharma et al. (1983) also observed that tolerant genotypes had a higher content of total phenols
than the susceptible ones. Further Gupta et al. (1995) explained that resistance in plants is expressed by oxidation of
phenols to quinines which are more toxic to microorganisms. Hence, it is clear that total phenolic compounds in leaves
play an important role in disease resistance and reducing the downy mildew disease of the host plants.

In the present study 14 lines showed disease resistance to downy mildew. Among them, 4 lines viz., L7, L19, L2 and L15
were having less than 8 percent disease infestation and these lines may be used for developing downy mildew disease
tolerant varieties for commercial cultivation.

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36 Dinesh Kumar Jain & S. K. Jain

REFERENCES

1. Ahloowalia, B.S.; Maluszynski, M. and Nichterlein, K. 2004. Global impact of mutation-derived varieties.
Euphytic. 135 (2): 187-200.

2. Arora, Y.K. 1983. Metabolic changes in mungbean (Vignaradiata) due to RhizoctoniasolaniKhun infection. Plant
Physiology and Biochemistry, 10: 40-45.

3. Gupta, S.K.; Gupta, P.P. and Kaushik, C.D. 1995. Changes in leaf peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase and
total phenols to alternaria leaf blight in Brassica speces. Indian Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology, 25
(3): 175-180.

4. Lal, R.K.; Sharma, J.R. and Misra, H.O. 1998. Register of new genotypes and development of new variety
‘Niharika’ of isabgol (Plantagoovata), Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences. 20 (2): 421-422.

5. Lily, V.G. and Ramadasan, A. 1979. Changes in phenolic content of coconut leaf in relation to the development of
leaf rot. Indian Phytopathology, 32: 112-113.

6. Luthra, Y.P.; Gandhi, S.K.; Joshi, U.N. and Arora, S.K. 1988a. Total phenols and their oxidative enzymes in
sorghum leaves resistant and susceptible to Raimulisporasorghicola Harris. Acta Phytopathology. Entomology
Hungarica, 23: 393-399.

7. Panse, V.G. and Sukhatme, P.V. 1978. Statistical Methods for Agricultural Workers. III Revised Edition, ICAR,
New Delhi.

8. Dinesh Kumar Jain & Raj Kumar Nagar, Induced Variability by Gamma Irradiation in Isabgol (Plantago Ovata
Forsk), International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research (IJASR), Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2018,
pp. 73-78

9. Sharma, S.G.; Narayana, R.; Lal, S. and Chaturvedi, C. 1983. Role of phenolic compounds in resistance of maize
to leaf blight caused by Drechslera state Cochiobolusheterostrophus. Indian Phytopathology, 36: 43-46.

10. Singh, A.K. and Virmani, O.P. 1982. Cultivation and utilization of isabgol (Plantagoovate Forsk.). A Review of
Current Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 4: 109-120.

11. Wheeler, B.E.J. 1969. An introduction to plant diseases. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., London, 301 p.

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.0273 NAAS Rating 3.73

Induce Mutation Breeding for Downey Mildew Tolerance in Isabgol (PlantagoOvataForsk.) 37

APPENDICES

Table 1: Mean Values of Various Quantitative Characters of Identified

Diseases Tolerant Plants Selected in M2 Generation

Table 2: Mean Squares for different Characters Observed on Disease Resistant Progenies in M3Generation

*, **Significant at 5% and 1 per cent level of significance

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38 Dinesh Kumar Jain & S. K. Jain

Table 3: Mean Values of different Characters for Disease Resistant Progenies in M3Generation

T = Tolerant, MT = Moderately tolerant, MS = Moderately susceptible, S = Susceptible

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.0273 NAAS Rating 3.73

Induce Mutation Breeding for Downey Mildew Tolerance in Isabgol (PlantagoOvataForsk.) 39

Figure 1: A View of Normal and Downy Mildew Diseased Plants

Figure 2: A View of Downy Mildew Diseased Resistant and Susceptible Lines

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