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Inheritance of an Ethyl Methanesulfonate‐Induced Dwarf in Soybean and Analysis of Leaf Cell Size 1
Author(s) -
Werner B. K.,
Wilcox J. R.,
Housley T. L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1987.0011183x002700040010x
Subject(s) - biology , ethyl methanesulfonate , backcrossing , mutant , botany , gene , dwarfism , dwarfing , horticulture , genetics
A dwarf soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] mutant designated MS2060 was found after treatment of seeds of C1421, a backcross‐derived strain of ‘Adelphia’, with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Dwarf plants were much smaller than C1421 plants in all measured characteristics and the leaves were somewhat lighter green in color. The MS2060 line was crossed with C1421 and the resulting F 1 plants were intermediate in height between the parents, indicating that the controlling gene showed no dominance. The gene in MS2060 was shown to be nonallelic to the ‘Lincoln’ dwarf ( df2 ), ‘Adams’ dwarf ( df3 ), ‘Hark’ dwarf ( df4 ), and T263 ( df5 ) genes, and was independently inherited with respect to each. The designation, dr6, is assigned to this gene. The gene is maintained as line T286 in the USDA Soybean Genetic Type Collection at Urbana, IL. Mean leaf area of both MS2060 and C1421 plants was compared as was the mean area of leaf epidermal cells from the lower surfaces of these leaves. Cells of MS2060 were 76% smaller than C1421 cells, while MS2060 leaves were 80% smaller than C1421 leaves. The number of epidermal cells per leaf was not significantly different for the two strains, indicating that the difference in leaf size was primarily due to a difference in cell size.