Improvement of Wheat Productivity Through Mutation Techniques
N. Bayarsukh, Ts Dolgor, B. Ganbaatar
Institute of Plant and Agricultural Science (IPAS), Mongolia
Abstract
The harsh climatic conditions of Mongolia and specific characteristic /late warming
soil in the spring and early cold in the autumn/ of the high altitude agricultural zone/late warming soil in the spring and early cold in the autumn/ cause the need for shortmaturity varieties. Breeding works are also in the process of selecting new varieties.
Breeding of new varieties is moving in this direction as well. In recent years, physicaland chemical mutagens have been widely used in the breeding of new wheat varieties
and lines with good characters. Early maturity variety of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
developed by induced mutation. New wheat mutant varieties have a high yield capacityand early maturity comparing most of local varieties, selected from hybridization. Themutants had been matured from two to ten days earlier than other varieties.
Introduction
The wheat is dominant crop and cultivated in about 80% of arable land in Mongolia
including over 70% in the Central crop production zone, over 20% in the Western zone
and 5-8% in the Eastern zone.
Due to the negative impact of climate change the drought frequency increased,
carrying capacity of pasture land declined and plant species composition reduced by 2-4times and yield declined 4-6 times, soil erosion and degradation increased by 7-25 times,
soil humus content declined by 37-52% and annually 0.5-1.5 t/ha organic matterdecomposed, yield potential of existing crop varieties reduced and pest and disease
distribution, frequency and damage increased.
Also, the Western and Khangai mountain cultivation areas located above at the1500-1900 m above sea level and daily average temperature ranges between 13-18°C in
the warmest season of June and July, also the crop duration ranges between 75-110 days.
These harsh conditions of the Western and Khangai mountain area allow growing
cereals with very short duration.
Existing commercial wheat varieties have not good grain quality, drought tolerance,and disease and pests resistance and cannot sustain stable yield under climate change.
Therefore, more new varieties with high stable yield potential and quality are needed inthese mountain areas.
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The induced-mutation considered useful efficient tool for the improvement specificplant traits like yield, stress tolerance, disease resistance, quality and increase breeding
efficiency. Thus, development of early maturity, drought and heat tolerant wheat
varieties with potential stable yield under changing climate condition throughapplication of mutation techniques has needed for stable food production in Mongolia.
Materials and Methods
Mutation induction in wheat
The studies carried out at the Institute of Plant and Agricultural Sciences during
2013-2017. We evaluated 10334 mutant lines M 1 -M 3 generation in the initial materials
field, including 3131 mutant lines originated chemical mutagen treatment. Table 1.
Table 1. Mutants in the initial materials field
Year

Generation /lines

Total

M1

M2

M3

2013

394

720

302

1416

2014

1025

750

477

2252

2015

460

1170

660

2290

2016

180

786

1440

2406

2017

-840

1130

1970

Total

2059

4266

4009

10334

The yield trail of mutant varieties
In the yield trail the 12 registered wheat varieties selected for the test. Three ofthem mutant and nine are conventional varieties originated from domestic and Russian
breeding. Origin of mutant Darkhan-141 variety is gamma ray 18000 rad, but origin of
Darkhan-172 mutant variety has derived from chemical mutagen Sodium azide. Thevarieties grown in the black fallow, with three replications and a plot size was 50 m2.
The crop sown at a rate of 3.5 million seeds per hectare. The soil of the experimental site
is Darkhan Uul province (49°28’N, 105°54’E), with pH 6.22, percentage of organic matter
1.35, available N-NO 3 3.5 mg/kg, P 2 O 5 3.9 mg/kg-1 and K 2 O 17.6 mg/ kg-1. The plots
harvested with a Wintersteiger harvester. Yield data adjusted to 14% moisture content
and the following grain quality parameters were determined. Grain from each plot wasdried and a composite 500 g sub-sample taken for quality (duplicate / triplicate) analysis.
Protein (percent of dry matter) was calculated by multiplying the corresponding total
60

nitrogen (by Kjeldahl) content by factor 5.7 (ICC 105/2) using a Kjeldahl auto analyzer.
The wet gluten quantity extracted from whole meal flour in an automated gluten washer(Single head gluten tester MJ-IIA).
Results and discussion
Experiment on initial materials of wheat mutation breeding
In 2013-2017, the 10334 mutant progenies studied and evaluated by agromorphological traits and stress tolerance. About 1808 advanced mutant lines selected
and used for wheat hybridization breeding material in the wheat breeding program.
Table 2.
Table 2. Average yield and yield components of mutants in the M 3 generation
Plantheight,cm

Plant
numberper m2

Productable stem
per m2Seed
numberper spikeSeedweightper spike

Yield,
t/haParents

77.6

166

428

35.7

1.3

4.38

Mutant lines

72.3

182

440

36.71.44.43Variance, ±-5.3+16+12+1.0+0.1+0.15

Study of mutants in the yield trails
Maturity: Early and late maturing mutants have frequently induced throughmutagenesis and identified easily. Early maturity in cereal crops is one of the usefulcharacteristics for cultivation in cool temperate regions, offering the opportunity toflower frost-free conditions, harvest prior to frost and in drought –prone regions, theability to produce a viable crop prior to drought conditions.
The heading time and maturity of wheat controlled by the plant’s ability to sense via
temperature and day length. The growth duration of wheat varieties in the yield trail
fluctuated from 78-91 days. The Khalkh gol-1 variety matured very early 78 days, butDarkhan-144 late matured within 91 days.
The mutant variety Darkhan-196 matured in 2-12 days earlier than other varieties.
Mutant variety Darkhan-172 matured in 2-10 days earlier than other varieties. Also,these varieties matured in 1-3 days earlier than control Darkhan-131 variety which aresuitable in the mountain agricultural area. The mutant variety Darkhan-141 has growthduration of 84 days which is in 1-7 earlier than Darkhan -34, Altaiskaya -100, Altaiskaya-50, Arvin, and Darkhan -144 varieties. Table 3.
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Yield and yield components: Stable and high yield potential in specific environmental
conditions is the most important objective of Mongolian plant breeding program. Yield iscomplex trait and influenced by breeding objectives such as plant architecture, maturity,nitrogen utilization efficiency and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
The grain yield of wheat varieties in the yield trail varied from 1.94 to 2.08 t/ha
which are higher than the average yield of control varieties of 1.67 to 1.88 t/ha. Thehighest grain yield (2.08 t/ha) has the variety Arvin, however lowest was the Khalkh gol1 variety (1.67 t/ha). The mutant variety Darkhan-141 has grain yield of 1.94 t/ha, which
is 0.02 t/ha higher than mean yield of varieties. The mutant variety Darkhan-172 andDarkhan-196 have same grain yield (2.02 t/ha), which are higher (0.10 t/ha) than meanof varieties. These three mutants included in high yielding varieties. Table 3.
The thousand kernel weight of wheat varieties fluctuated from 30.5 g to 38.0 g. The
highest was the Darkhan-172 mutant of 38.0 g, but lowest was Khalkh gol-1 variety-30.5
g. Thousand kernel weight of mutant variety Darkhan-196 was 31.7 g and Darkhan-141
was 34.6 g.
Table 3. Growth duration and yield of wheat varieties

NoVariety name

Maturity,days

Seednumber per
spike1000 kernel
weight, gYield, t/ha

1.

Khalkh gol-1

78

30

30.5

1.67 d2.

Darkhan-196 mutant

79

29

31.7

2.02 ab3.

Karagandinskaya-2281

3136.4

1.79 d4.

Darkhan -172 mutant

8130

38.0

2.02 ab5.

Orkhon

84

30

33.2

1.88 c6.

Darkhan -34

85

32

35.1

2.04 ab7.

Darkhan -141 mutant

84

29

34.6

1.94 b

8.

Altaiskaya -99

83

31

34.7

1.86 c9.

Altaiskaya -100

86

30

34.1

1.99 b10.

Altaiskaya -50

86

26

36.2

1.72 d11.

Darkhan -166

86

33

36.0

2.08 a12.

Darkhan -144

91

33

36.9

2.03 ab

Mean

84

30

34.8

1.92

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Grain quality of wheat varieties: Quality parameters of new mutant varieties meetrequirements of the national standard for food wheat MNS 0097:2010. The protein
content of varieties varied 11.9-13.7%. The Altaiskaya-100 variety grain contained
lowest protein 11.9%, however the Darkhan-196 mutant variety contains highest 13.7%.
The medium maturity mutant variety Darkhan-141 has good grain quality comparing toother varieties. Protein content of Darkhan-141 mutant variety was 13.0%, it is 0.2-1.1%
higher than other varieties, wet gluten (31%) 2.2- 5.7% higher and flour yield (73.0%)
1.7-6.4% higher than other varieties. Bread making quality score of mutant varieties
Darkhan-172 and Darkhan-141 were highest (4.3-4.4).
Table 4. Comparing of grain quality of mutants and local varieties
No

Variety nameProtein,

Gluten,Flour yield,

Breadmaking
score

1.

Khalkh gol-1

13.0

29.4

68.5

4.1

2.

Darkhan-196 mutant

13.7

29.5

68.7

3.8

3.

Karagandinskaya-22

12.3

28.3

69.3

3.9

4.

Darkhan -172 mutant

12.5

28.5

68.0

4.4

5.

Orkhon

12.3

28.2

66.8

4.1

6.

Darkhan -34

12.8

28.1

69.4

4.0

7.

Darkhan -141 mutant

13.0

31.873.0

4.3

8.

Altaiskaya -99

12.5

29.6

71.3

3.8

9.

Altaiskaya -100

11.9

27.1

70.9

3.5

10.

Altaiskaya -50

12.2

26.1

67.0

3.7

11.

Arvin

12.3

29.2

66.6

4.3

12.

Darkhan -144

13.1

32.2

68.6

4.3

Fertilizer use effeciency of mutant varieties
We have studied organic and mineral fertilizers influences for mutant variety’s yieldand grain quality. Analysis of soil samples from planting depth (0-20 cm) indicated low
level of available nitrogen and phosphorus, medium in potassium, indicating that thenutrient may be a limiting factor for wheat production in the area. The upper 20 cm(arable layer) contains low (0.86%) organic matter (C), increasing to 1.22% in the subsoil(soil layer 20-40 cm). During the growth stage of wheat the soil nutrients in different
treatments had different trend over time. We observed that the application of fertilizers
influenced positively to the soil fertility. The use of fertilizers at sowing time, are63

effective on improvement of seed germination and seedling growth of wheat mutantvarieties, especially for Darkhan 141. Field germination of selected varieties increased
from 6.3 % to 14.3% under fertilization.
These results showed that interactive effect of varieties and fertilizers had
significant effect (P<0.05). The highest increased grain yield was recorded in NPK
treatment. Application of N-P-K at the rate of 30-20-20 kg/ha to Darkhan 141 had
maximum increased (1.22 t/ha or 83.6% compare to control) grain yield. The lowest grain
yield (on an average 1.23 t/ha) was recorded in Darkhan 34 standart variety. Darkhan172 mutant had 43.3% additional yield under the complex mineral fertilizer application.
Table 5.
Table 5. Effect of fertilizers on yield of wheat mutant varieties, 2014-2016
Treatments

Darkhan-34

Darkhan 141

Darkhan 172t/haAdditional
yield, %t/haAdditional
yield, %t/haAdditional
yield, %Control

1.15

-

1.46-

2.03

-

N

1.05

-

1.64

12.3

2.30

13.3

NP

1.27

10.4

2.16

47.9

2.90

42.8

NPK-

-

2.68

83.6

2.91

43.3

Gumat

1.44

25.2

1.62

11.0

1.98

-

Mean

1.23

17.8

1.91

38.7

2.42

33.1

The fertilization effected positively on grain protein content and increased 0.42.79 %. The highest percentage of grain protein (16.3%) and gluten content (36.9) wereobtained from combined nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizer. Table 6.
Table 6. Effect of fertilizers on grain quality of mutant varieties, 2014-2016
Treatments

Darkhan 34

Darkhan141

Darkhan 172

Protein, %Gluten, %Protein, %Gluten, %Protein, %Gluten, %Control

12.5

29.2

11.9

29.5

13.0

29.6

N

14.1

30.9

12.6

30.8

13.2

34.0

NP

16.3

36.9

13.0

34.4

12.9

30.1

NPK--

14.231.4

13.5

32.8

Gumat

11.9

23.8

11.5

24.6

--64

Conclusion
The experiment results showed developing new varieties with high yield earlymaturity and good grain quality through mutation induction. Mutant varieties has very
high fertilizer use efficiency.
The new mutant variety Darkhan-172 is registered as promising new early wheat
variety for growing in the western and mountain areas in Mongolia.
Acknowledgments•

This work was supported by FNCA “Mutation breeding” project.

•All members of FNCA project for sharing information and experience.

•Prof. Hirokazu Nakai for supervising rice mutation breeding.

References
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2009,
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4. Maluszynski, M.; Nichterlein, K.; Van Zanten, L.; Ahloowalia, B. S. Officiallyreleased mutant varieties-The FAO/IAEA Database, Mutation Breeding Review No.
12 December 2000. Joint FAO/IAEA Division, Vienna, Austria, ISSN 1011-2618.
5. Shu.Q.Y, Forster.B.P, Nakagawa.H.
Plant mutation breeding and biotechnology, Joint FAO/IAEA Program Malta, 2012
6. Dolgor.Ts, Bayarsukh.N. Mutation breeding achievements in Mongolia, March 2017;
The National nuclear energy project coordinator’s meeting, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

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