Abstract
Common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is an important agricultural crop used for food and industrial purposes. Numerous studies have shown that induced mutations using DES (diethyl sulfate) are a very useful method for crop improvement. Furthermore, the targeted use of induced mutations in plant breeding has become an effective approach. This article presents the results of a study of seed treatment with various mutagen concentrations. This study was conducted under laboratory and field conditions to determine the effect of DES as a mutagen on the first generation of M1 plants. The following parameters were measured in the field experiments: plant height (cm), field germination (%), productive tillering (pcs/plant), number of seeds per panicle (pcs), grain weight per panicle (g), number of seeds per plant (pcs), grain weight per plant (g), thousand-seed weight (g), grain yield (g/m2), and growing season duration (days). The correlation network constructed on the basis of significant relationships (r≥0.65; p< 0.05) clearly demonstrated the structure of close interrelations between the traits and their differentiation into two functional modules in response to the mutagen treatment. DES was found to be quite effective in inducing genetic variability already in the first M1 generation. The results revealed significant differences for all the traits studied. The study also demonstrated that the use of this chemical agent is an effective approach for developing improved Panicum miliaceum L. varieties.