Assessment of mutation in marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) using morphological and molecular markers

Variability caused by induced mutations is not essentially different from variability caused by spontaneous mutation during evolution. Although marigold (Tagetes spp.) is an important commercial crop the major breeding obstacle is non-availability of known sources for creating a novelty. Therefore, in vivo grown seedlings and in vitro raised proliferated cultures of marigold cultivar Pusa Narangi Gainda were subjected to gammairradiation to develop mutant populations. 11 Mutants were grown in the M1 generation and variants screened based on yield and morphological characters.