Principles of Plant Breeding (2+1)

Mutation Breeding

• Induced mutations has distinct advantages and particular limitations. Any vegetative propagule can be treated with mutagens and even a single desirable mutant or a part of the mutated propagule can be multiplied as improved type of the original variety.
  
• The asexually propagated crops being highly heterozygous are rather difficult to be improved through sexual hybridization because of wide segregation and recombination in varietal crosses that usually loss of outstanding characteristics of the parent lines.
  
• The complex polyploidy nature and long juvenile period of these crops also restrict the utility of planned hybridization in these crops.
  
• The mutations are unicellular in event and mutagenic treatment of multicellular somatic tissues like buds, petioles, apices, tubers or bulbs leads to induction of mutation.
  
• Mutation breeding has successfully been used in crops commercially produced by tubers, bulbs and cuttings which include potato, sweet potato, cassava, fruit trees, and number of ornamentals maximum number of improved varieties through mutation breeding has been produced in ornamentals and fruit trees.