EMS is the most commonly used mutagen in chemical mutagenesis， which has the advantages of high point mutation rate of a single base， low cost and easy operation. Obtaining mutants through EMS mutagenesis can provide favorable material for breeding and gene function studies. The key of EMS mutagenesis technology is to determine the EMS concentration and mutagenesis time. Generally， the combination of concentration and time to achieve the half lethal rate is the best. In gramineous plants， seeds are mainly used as mutagenic materials. At the same time， pollen， callus and vegetative organs of gramineous plants that rely on vegetative reproduction can be used as mutagenic materials. Different plant materials have different tolerance to EMS. Pollen is the most sensitive， followed by callus， and asexual reproduction materials and seeds have strong tolerance. The screening methods of mutants include phenotypic comparison screening， stress directional screening， and forward and reverse genetic screening. This article reviews the application of EMS mutagenesis in gramineous plants breeding and gene function research in recent years， introduces the mutagenesis principle， mutagen concentration， mutagen time， mutagenic material selection and the screening of mutants， and the future research on EMS mutagenesis in gramineous plants was prospected， this information can provide reference for EMS mutagenesis research of gramineous plants in the future.