Background and Objective: In recent times, groundnut production has recorded low yields in the Northern part of Ghana and this could be attributed to the use of unimproved varieties, the incidence of diseases and pests and the prevalence of drought. The objective of this study was to compare agronomic traits of M1, M2 and M3 mutant lines of groundnut produced over the years in the Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana. Materials and Methods: The M1, M2 and M3 mutant lines of groundnut were screened for improved agronomic traits. The trials were laid out using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The experimental plots measured 3×3 m. Data collected were subjected to combined analysis for variation in factorial experiments using Genstat (18 edition) statistical package. Means were separated using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) approach at a 5% probability level. Results: Results of the study indicated that mutagenesis had great potential to improve the yield characteristics of groundnut. More desired traits were found with the 150 and 200 Gy doses. The number of pods per plant and seed weight was the key parameters found to influence grain yield. The maturity period was found to be shorter in the selected mutant genotypes. Conclusion: Promising mutant genotypes should be tested in multi-locational trials to determine their suitability in the various agro-ecologies for release as varieties and production by farmers in these areas. PDFFulltextXMLReferencesCitation
How to cite this article
I.K. Addai, A. Bawa and B. N-Yanyi, 2022. Mutagenesis for Improvement of Growth and Yield of Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) in the Guinea Savannah Agro-Ecology of Ghana. International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics, 16: 10-17.