Abstract
Cytogenetical investigations have been carried out on Hordeum vulgare. Seed of H. vulgare were treated with different concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5%) of ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) and hydrazine hydrate (HZ). The plants in the treated populations showed varying degrees of meiotic irregularities almost at all the mutagenic concentrations. The frequency of meiotic irregularities was found to be more in HZ treatment than EMS. The various types of meiotic abnormalities such as univalents, multivalents, stickiness, precocious movement, stray bivalent, non-orientation, cytomixis, laggard, bridges, unequal separation, micronuclei and disturbed polarities were observed. Taking the percentage of meiotic abnormalities and pollen sterility as an index of effectiveness of a mutagen, HZ treatment was found to be more effective.
