Open Access

ARTICLE

EMS-Mediated Mutagenesis in Marigold Seeds and Its Effects on Seedling Growth and Physiology

Chao Meng^1,#, Ikram Ullah^2,#, Wenjin Wu³, Yiping Zhang¹, Ruixue Shi¹, Shaodan Luo³, Cuixia Luo³, Satyabrata Nanda⁴, Mahmoud F. Seleiman⁵, Yalian Jiang^1,*, Wangqi Huang^1,*

1 Institute of Flower, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Flower Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Ornamental Horticulture, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Flower Genetic Improvement, Kunming, 650205, China
2 College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
3 West Yunnan University, Lincang, 67700, China
4 School of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, 752050, India
5 Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

* Corresponding Authors: Yalian Jiang. Email: ; Wangqi Huang. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2024, 93(11), 3029-3038. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2024.057857

Received 29 August 2024; Accepted 23 October 2024; Issue published 30 November 2024

Abstract

Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are popular horticultural plants worldwide. The current study aimed to investigate the optimal mutagenic conditions for marigold seeds using EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate) mutagenesis. Different concentrations and treatment times of EMS were applied to investigate their effects on the marigold seed germination rate, growth traits, antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e., SOD and POD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Results indicated that with increasing the EMS treatment duration and concentration, the seed germination rate and growth treatments were reduced, accompanied by elevated MDA content. In addition, SOD and POD activities initially correlated positively with the growth tratis at the lowest concentrations and shortest durations of EMS, but such relationship diminished beyond certain thresholds. The comprehensive analysis identified the optimal mutagenic conditions as 1% EMS treatment for 12 h, achieving a semi-lethal dose and enhancing stress-resistant components in seedlings. These findings are pivotal for advancing genetic enhancement and germplasm innovation in marigolds.

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Keywords

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