Advantages of mutation breeding
- Mutation create inexhaustible variation.
- When no improvement is possible this method has to be adopted.
Limitations of mutation breeding
- Frequency of desirable mutations is very low about 0.1 percent. To detect the desirable one in M2 considerable time, labor & other resources are to be employed.
- To screen large population, efficient quick and unexpensive selection techniques are needed.
- Desirable mutations may be associated with undesirable side effects due to other mutations thus extending the mutation breeding programme.
- Detection of recessive mutations in polyploids and clones is difficult and larger doses of mutagen have to be applied and larger populations are to be grown.
Achievements
a) Natural mutants :
- Rice : GFB 24 – arose as a mutant from Konamani variety Dee – Gee – Woo –
- Gen – Arose as a mutant from rice in China
- MTU 20 – arose as a mutant from MTU-3
- Sorghum Co. 18 – arose as a mutant from Co. 2
- Cotton : DB 3-12 from G. heroaccum variety Western 1
b) Induced mutants :
- Rice : Jagannath-gamma ray induced mutant from T.141
- Wheat : Sarbati Sonora Gamma radiation from Sonora 64
- NP 836 mutants, through irradiation from NP 709
- Cotton : Indore 2 Induced from Malwa upland 4
- MLU 7 gamma ray induced mutant from culture 1143 EE
- MLU 10 gamma ray induced mutant from MLU 4
- Mustard : Primax whicte (1950)
- Summer Pope seed Regina I (1953)
- Sugarcane : Co.8152 gamma ray induced mutant from Co. 527
- Groundnut : NC 4
- Cas tor : Aruna (NPH1) – Fast neutrons induced mutant from HC 6