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Life Science Research and Sustainable Development ISBN: 978-98-84663-33-9

the mutant with a randomly selected range of elite varieties. Alternatively, when the
pleiotropic effect is on a specific trait, e.g., delayed flowering, appropriate genes for
correction of the defect, e.g., genes for early flowering, can be introgressed into the mutant
strain.
6. Mutations in quantitative traits are usually in the direction away from the selection history
of the parent variety; this conclusion was reached by Brock in 1965 and is generally regarded
as valid. This may tend to limit the degree of improvement attainable in a quantitative trait
that has been the object of selection for a long period of time, e.g.,yield.
7. Most of the mutations are recessive; detection of recessive mutations is almost impossible in
clonal crops and is difficult in polyploidy species. Consequently, in polyploidy species, larger
populations have to be grown and larger doses of mutagens have to be applied. Mutagenesis
has been most commonly applied to diploid species that reproduce sexually, more
particularly to self-pollinated species.
Conclusion
Induced mutagenesis is one of the most powerful breeding tools for creating novel genetic
variation and accelerating the process of trait selection. Over the last several decades, mutation
breeding is successful in developing large number of mutants with improved agroeconomic traits
of diverse plant species.
The availability of accessible genetic variation is highly important to initiate crop
improvement programme, the plant breeding supplemented with induced mutagenesis has
proved to be coherent and robust.
The technique has been successfully applied in cereals, pulses, medicinal, horticulture
plants and fodder crops etc. The different traits of interest like yield, physiological activity,
nutritional quality, secondary metabolites, plant biomass etc. has been targeted and improved
through mutation breeding. With the advent of modern biotechnological tools and genetic
markers, the unbound possibilities of mutation breeding are expanding. In future, it is highly
recommended to integrate molecular advancement into the mutation breeding programmes for
improving the selection accuracy and target trait specificity.
Variation is among the major factor without which we cannot imagine the improvement
of crop in any aspect. Among various method of breeding in crop plant mutation breeding i.e.
induced mutation is one of the preeminent methods of creation of variation/genetic variation.
Conventional method of breeding takes long time to improve a crop variety due to a very slow
increase in genetic variation.
To overcome this induced mutation, play a crucial role which helps in creation of genetic
variation in a short period. Over last several year's mutation breeding is getting popular and is
adopted by several countries. It improves several qualitative and quantitative characters of crop
plant and is successfully applied in several cereal, grain legume, oil seed, vegetable, fruits,
medicinal plant, ornamental plants and fodder crops. With the advancement of various plant
breeding, genetics, and biotechnological tools mutation breeding contribute toward the increase
in global food and agriculture production which ultimately overcome global hunger and improve
the nutritional status of the globe.

References:
1. Amin, R., Laskar, R. A., & Khan, S. (2015). Assessment of genetic response and character
association for yield and yield components in Lentil (Lens culinaris L.) population developed

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