THE EFFECT OF CHEMICAL MUTAGENS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS NIGELLA DAMASCENA L. VARIETY BEREGINYA IN M1 GENERATION.

We studied the effect of chemical mutagens EMS, NMU and a new mutagen DG-2 on the traits of Nigella damascena L. variety Bereginya in the generation M1. It was found that the treatment of love-in-a-mist seeds with these substances changed such characteristics as plant survival, plant height, and the number of seeds per plant. The greatest influence on these indicators was exerted by nitrosomethylurea. In our study, all chemical mutagens led to a decrease in plant survival and mainly caused plant oppression. In all treatments, a decrease in the total plant height was revealed in comparison with the control. In some cases the number of seeds per plant has decreased. The tested mutagens caused the appearance of morphoses in plants with a frequency of 3.87% to 0.48%, characterized by a change in color and shape of the leaves and the plant dwarfism. The appearance of plants with altered characteristics in the M1 generation assumes hereditary mutations of a different nature in the subsequent generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]