Abstract & Overview
In the present investigation, Pisum sativum (pea) plants subjected to short-term gamma irradiation and various concentrations of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) were collected and characterized. The results indicated that increasing EMS concentration generally led to a reduction in plant height, with the exception of the 0.1% EMS treatment. Plants treated with 0.1% EMS exhibited the greatest height (75 cm), which was significantly higher compared to those treated with higher EMS concentrations. Further, phylogenetic differentiation and geographic distribution of genetic variation, assessed in terms of total seed protein content across three varieties, revealed that lower EMS concentrations (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) resulted in a notable increase in protein content compared to the untreated control (WB) and the highest EMS treatment (0.4%). At 0.4% EMS concentration, a decline in protein content was observed, which was accompanied by deleterious morphological traits. Despite existing reports in cereals of a negative correlation between total protein content and seed yield, the present study suggests that the induction of high-protein mutants may result from micromutations with positive effects on protein synthesis, while the observed reduction in seed yield may be attributed to micromutations with detrimental effects. The lack of a statistically significant negative correlation between protein content and yield further indicates that improving protein levels through breeding may not adversely affect the yield potential of the genotypes.