Hyper-Variable Spontaneous Genetic Variation for Earliness, Seed Characters and other Yield-Contributing Traits in Lentil (Lens culinaris Med.)

The extent of genetic variation obtained naturally is useful in self-pollinated crops like lentil, though the variation is very low in frequency. A single plant was isolated from a commercial population of DPL-62 in 2007-08 assuming that it is a mutant of DPL-62 with earliness and other morphological traits. Interestingly, the progenies of the isolated plant showed segregation up to sixth generation (rabi 2012-13). Wide variation was observed for days to flowering (38-66), days to maturity (95-135), reproductive phase (55-80 days), plant height (35-65 cm), pods per plant (30-185), 100- seed weight (3.10 to 6.80 g), seed coat colour and other traits. Mutation at multiple loci may be the possible reason. In every generation segregation has been seen for major traits, and still the material is segregating which shows a kind of dynamic mutation. Presence of mobile genetic elements in the functional genome may also be a reason. This genetic stock can play a crucial role in understanding the genetics of the target trait and improvement of small-seed Indian lentils.