CHEMICAL MUTAGENESIS AND PARENT MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT IN COTTON BREEDING

Abstract

In the Republic of Azerbaijan, we have obtained 626 positive mutant lines of cotton by chemical mutagenesis. Though the mutant lines surpassed the initial variety in certain characters, they yielded to it in other characters and could not be used as straight ancestors of new varieties because of missing full complex of characters, determining a modern variety type. A possibility to improve induced mutants by involving them in different types of crossbreeding has been studied. The induced mutants have been included in hybridization both with initial varieties and between themselves. The use of induced mutants, carrying some changed characters at a time in different crossbreeding combinations, has shown high efficiency of this method, which quickens the breeding process and improves the result of mutation breeding due to the expanded spectra of variations, the increased number of forms combining 5-7 valuable characters, as well as due to the appearance of plants with 8 economic characters and enhanced expression of valuable mutant characters in different recombinants. The analysis of hybrid generations shows that, as to such characters as cotton productivity and technological quality of fiber, it is expedient to use inter-mutant crossings, using mutants with significant advantages of one or another character over the standard variety.