Volume 14, Issue 3

The Potential of Mutation Breeding for Ensuring Sustainable Food Security

Author

Ashni Devi, Kewal Kumar and Mushtaq Ahmad Khah

Abstract

Abstract:

Plants are subject to various environmental stresses, which demand the development of crops that can withstand these challenges, especially with the ongoing impacts of climate change, increased global food demand, and other factors. Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heavy metal toxicity, and extreme temperatures (both high and low) severely limit plant growth and agricultural productivity. The continued loss of fertile land, diminishing water resources, and the accelerating pace of global warming and climate change are expected to result in decreased yields of key food crops across many regions. Genetic diversity is a critical source of phenotypic variation and has historically driven evolutionary processes. Thousands of years ago, humans began harnessing heritable genetic variation in the domestication of plants and animals. Today, inducing mutations offers the possibility of introducing novel traits. These induced mutations have played an essential role in improving global food and nutritional security by enhancing mutant germplasm and developing new crop varieties. Physical and chemical mutagens have generated significant genetic variability. Over the past few decades, induced mutations have greatly contributed to developing better crop varieties. With the help of modern cellular and molecular biology tools, the efficiency of mutation induction, detection, and application has improved. Consequently, more than 3,400 mutant-derived crop varieties have been officially released worldwide, with over 60% of these coming from Asia, especially China, Japan, and India. This paper presents an in-depth review of mutagenesis principles, its applications, and the potential for crop improvement. It also explores molecular and genomic advances in mutation technologies, particularly in building stress-tolerant agriculture.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62226/ijarst20252525

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