M.Sc. Ag. (GPB) RCA,MPUAT, UDAIPUR

1. CREDIT SEMINAR
on
Presented by-
Sanjay Kumar
M.Sc. (Ag.)
Dept. of GPB
Major Advisor-
Dr. Amit Dadheech
Assistant Professor
Dept. of GPB
Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding
RAJASTHAN COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
MAHARANA PRATAP UNIVERSITY OF
AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY UDAIPUR-
313001
“ Role of Mutation
Breeding in Crop
Improvement”
Seminar Incharge
Sh. P.P. Sharma

2. Contents
Introduction
Types of mutation
Mutagens
Procedures of mutations breeding
Screening/selection
Achievements of mutation breeding
Future prospectus
Advantages of mutation breeding
Limitations of mutation breeding
Conclusion

3. Introduction
Mutation refers to sudden heritable change
in the phenotype of an individual.
The term mutation breeding was first coined
by Freisleben and Lein (1944).
Father of mutation breeding –Ake
Gustafson.
He referred mutation breeding as the
deliberate induction and development of
mutant lines for crop improvement.
It is most commonly used in asexually
propagated crops and self pollinated crops

4. Milestones in mutation breeding
1901-1904 – Hugo de Vries 1st time used
term ‘Mutation’ and founded genome mutation
in ‘Oenothera’.
1927 – Muller 1st time used X-rays as
mutation induction in Drosophila.
1928 – Stadler first used X-rays for induction
of mutation in barley.
1936 - The first induced mutant variety is
released, tobacco var. ‘Chlorina’ using X-rays
in Indonesia.
1946 - Auerbach and Robson first reports of
chemically induced mutation (Nitrogen

5. Types of Mutation
A. Spontaneous mutations: Mutation do
occur in nature.
B. Induced mutations: Mutation may be
artificially induced by various mutagenic
agents.
Induced mutations are of two types
depending on the magnitude of
phenotypic effect:-
a) Macro mutation
b) Micro mutation

6. Micro mutation Macro mutation
1. Produce a small
phenotypic effect.
1. Produce a large
phenotypic effect.
2. Polygenic in nature. 2. Oligogenic in nature.
3. Cannot be identify on
individual plant basis.
3. Easily identify on
individual plant basis.
4. Selection delays till M3. 4. Can be easily selected in
M2 generation.

7. MUTAGENS
 Mutagen : Physical or chemical agent which greatly
enhance the frequency of mutation.
 Types of mutagens:
 A.Physical mutagens:
 1.Ionising radiation:
(a)Particulate radiations: alpha-rays , beta-rays, fast
neutrons and thermal neutrons.
(b) Non-particulate radiations: X-rays and gamma
rays.
 2.Non-ionising radiation: Ultraviolet radiation.

8. B. Chemical mutagens:
1.Alkylating agents: EMS (ethyl
methane sulphonate), methyl methane
sulphonate (MMS),ethylene imines(EI),
sulphur mustard, nitrogen mustard etc.
2.Acridine dyes: proflavin, acridine
orange, acridine yellow and ethidium
bromide (EB).
3.Base Analogues: 5 Bromo Uracil, 2
amino pirine.
4.Other mutagens: Nitrous Acid,

9. Procedures of
Mutation Breeding
1. Choice of material
2. Choice of mutagen
3. Part of the Plant to be Treated
4. Dose of mutagen
5. Handling of segregating
generations

10. 1.Choice of material : It should be the best
variety available in crop and seed should
be pure.
2.Choice of mutagen : Generally chemical
mutagens are more preferred.
3.Part of the Plant to be Treated :
Seeds
Pollen grains
Vegetative propagules
Corns
Bulbs
complete plant

11. 4. Dose of mutagen
 Mutagens generally induce a high frequency of
chromosomal changes and meiotic and mitotic
irregularities.
 Optimum mutagen dose is one, which produces
maximum frequency of mutations and causes the
minimum killing.
 Close to LD50 dose is optimum. LD50 is the dose of
mutagen that kills 50% of the treated individuals.
 varies with mutagens
eg:- EMS – 0.3-1.5 %, for 2-6 hours

12. Method…

13. 5.Handling of segregating population
M1 generation
Seeds treated with chemical mutagens
should be washed thoroughly and be
planted as soon as possible.
Large M1 generation is raised from treated
seeds (Wider spacing).
E.g. :- 25,000 plants are to be grown to
obtain a useful mutation in M1 generation.
The M1 plants should not be allowed to
cross pollinate. M1 population should be
planted 75-100 m apart from the parental or
other genotypes of the same crop species.

14. M2 generation
Seed obtained from M1 is sowing in wide
spacing.
Selected mutants are selfed.
Oligogenic mutations are detected in M2
and are harvested separately.
M3 generation
M3 progeny raised from selected M2.
Evaluated for homozygosity.
M4 generation
M4 progeny raised in replicated trail using
local check for comparison.
M5-M9 generation
Selected lines are tested in multilocation
trail.

15. Screening/selection
 Mainly two types screening/selection techniques in
M2 and subsequent generation.
i) Visual
 most effective and efficient method for identifying
mutant phenotypes.
 Visual selection often is the prime basis for selecting
for disease resistance, earliness, plant height, colour
changes, adaptation to soil, climate, growing period
etc.
ii) Mechanical/Physical
 Very efficient for seed size, shape, weight, density,
etc., using appropriate sieving machinery.

16. Achievement of Mutation
Breeding

17. Mutant varieties released in India

18. List of varieties developed in India through
mutation breeding
Crop Varieties Special character
Wheat Sharbati sonara
NP 836
Semi dwarf and non-lodging mutant
variety
Rice Jagannath
Prabhavati
Mohan
Bold seed size
Short stature
Salt tolerance variety
Cotton MA-9, MCU-7, Pusa
ageti
Chickpea Pusa 408, Pusa 413,
Pusa 417, Pusa 547
Ascochyta blight, Fusarium wilt
respectively
Bold seeds, better cooking quality
and high yield performance
Mung
Bean
Pant Mung-2
Barley RDB-1 Short stature Barley
Groundn
ut
TG 47
TBG 39
Large seed and early maturity
High oleic acid

19. The primary research centres and institutes in
India that participated in the development and
release of various mutants
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)- New
delhi.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre- Mumbai.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University –TN and
National Botanical Research Institute – Lucknow,
UP

20. Future prospectus
The molecular techniques of DNA
fingerprinting and molecular mappings
such as RAPD, AFLP and STMS have
contributed significantly in the screening
and analysis of mutants.
In the present era in vitro culture and
molecular methods have resulted in the
creation of new and wide paradigm in the
utilisation of mutation breeding for crop
improvement.
In recent years in vitro mutagenesis
technique has enhanced the crop yield and

21. Advantages
Mutation breeding is a cheap and rapid method of
developing new varieties.
Induction of desirable mutant alleles, which is not
present in germplasm.
Induced mutagens is used for the induction of
CMS. Ethidium bromide (EB) has been used for
induction of CMS in barley (Minocha et al., 1983)
and pearlmillet (Burton and Hanna, 1976).
Mutation breeding is more effective for the
improvement of oligogenic characters such as
disease resistance.

22. Limitations
The frequency of desirable mutants is very
low.
The process is generally random and
unpredictable.
Identification of micro mutation, which are
more useful to a plant breeder is usually
very difficult.
Mutants have strong negative pleiotropic
effects on other traits.
Health risks: handling, chemical mutagens;
radiations, fast neutrons treatments.

23. Conclusion
At present genetic variability is narrowed using
conventional breeding approaches for a long
period, induced mutagenesis are one of the most
important approaches for broadening the genetic
variation and diversity in crops.
It has many comparative advantages: it is cost
effective, quick, proven and robust. It is also
transferrable and environmentally friendly.
Crop varieties generated through the exploitations
of mutation breeding are significantly contributing
to global food and nutritional security and improved
livelihoods.

24. THANK YOU