Ethyl methyl sulfonate-induced mutagenesis and its effects on peanut agronomic, yield and quality traits

Abstract

Peanut is an important oilseed and food crop worldwide; however, the development of new cultivars is limited by its remarkably low genetic variability. Therefore, in order to enhance peanut genetic variability, here, we treated two widely cultivated peanut genotypes, Huayu 22 and Yueyou 45, with different concentrations of the mutagen ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) for different durations. Based on median lethal dose (LD50) value, optimal EMS treatment concentrations for each duration were identified for each genotype. Mutants induced by EMS differed in various phenotypic traits, including plant height, number of branches, leaf characteristics, and yield and quality in plants of the M2 generation. Moreover, we identified potentially useful mutants associated with dwarfism, leaf color and shape, high oil and/or protein content, seed size and testa color, among individuals of the M2 generation. Mutations were stably inherited in M3-generation individuals. In addition to their contribution to the study and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the regulation of the expression of some important agronomic traits, the mutants obtained in this study provide valuable germplasm resources for use in peanut improvement programs.