TY  - EJOU
AU  - Meng, Chao 
AU  - Ullah, Ikram 
AU  - Wu, Wenjin 
AU  - Zhang, Yiping 
AU  - Shi, Ruixue 
AU  - Luo, Shaodan 
AU  - Luo, Cuixia 
AU  - Nanda, Satyabrata 
AU  - Seleiman, Mahmoud F. 
AU  - Jiang, Yalian 
AU  - Huang, Wangqi 

TI  - EMS-Mediated Mutagenesis in Marigold Seeds and Its Effects on Seedling Growth and Physiology
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2024
VL  - 93
IS  - 11
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - Marigolds (<i>Tagetes</i> spp.) are popular horticultural plants worldwide. The current study aimed to investigate the optimal mutagenic conditions for marigold seeds using EMS (<i>ethyl methanesulfonate</i>) 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.
KW  - Marigolds; seed germination; EMS mutagenesis; genetic enhancement

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2024.057857