SUMMARY Genetic variability is basic for oat progress in southern Brazil. Adaptative trait, as plant stature, could be of major importance for oat crop development. In this way, mutation breeding should be an efficient tool for plant breeders develop new genetic combinations for selection of superior genotypes. Two mutagenic agents, sodium azide and γ-ray, were applied on two oat varieties, UFRGS-7 and UFRGS-8, using different product doses. In order to induce heritable alterations (micromutations), the sodium azide showed the best beneficts, withoutshowing deleterious effects on plants. The data obtained evidenciated that mutation breeding is an interesting approach in order to enlarge oat variability range in southern Brazil.
mutation breeding; Avena sativa L; stature trait; plant breeding
