Induction of genetic variability in oat

Genetic variability in plants can be maximized through techniques of induction to make selection of genotypeswith improved adaptation to cultivation conditions possible. For oat, these techniques are important for a sustainabledevelopment through plant breeding programs in southern Brazil. The effects of mutagens (one physical: 60Co gamma raysand two chemical agents: ethyl - methanesulfonate and methyl-methanesulfonate) were compared in the segregating M2 andM3 generations derived from artificial hybridization and induced mutation to compare mechanisms of widening the geneticvariability of oat. The methodologies increased the genetic variability in the trait vegetative cycle effectively, by either increasingor reducing the number of days from emergence to full heading; both can be applied in oat breeding programs.