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Mutation techniques for plant breeding

Nuclear technology is used in plant breeding to develop new varieties by means of induced mutations and related biotechnologies. With the aid of IAEA and UNDP, China has been able to develop new, higher-yielding rice cultivars and extend them to farmers across the country as they strive to produce more food from the 33 million hectares under cultivation with rice. Mutation techniques have produced some promising cytoplasmic male sterile lines which significantly increase the seed set, making the hybrid seed production more economical. Some new early season lines with better grain quality and disease resistance have also been developed in this way. As part of an IAEA Model project, which began in 1995, Chinese scientists examined a number of mutant rice lines and selected two for large-scale trials. The 'Zehfu' lines have performed so well that over 10% of the rice acreage in five Chinese provinces is now planted to these varieties. Chinese scientists are now seeking to develop a variety that can survive in rugged, mountainous areas, where malnutrition is common. The final phase of the project in China will involve introducing newer complementary approaches, such as the double haploid technique (which is used to obtain reliable variety in 3-4 generations) and DNA fingerprinting procedures, to enhance the mutant development process. Improved rice varieties have also been produced by mutation breeding in West Africa, where gamma irradiation of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) has produced varieties with white instead of red kernels. These new white varieties are much preferred by consumers and sell for more than double the usual market price. However, important evolutionary adaptations of African rice, such as its ability to withstand flooding and tolerance of drought stress, have been conserved. Another important staple of West Africa, sorghum, is also undergoing irradiation treatment and, in field trials, some of the new mutant varieties produced have demonstrated increases yield of 30-50%, higher protein content and earlier maturation compared to local cultivars. Some varieties demonstrated an improved tolerance to drought and the new plants also maintained the important characteristics favoured by farmers. Thus, using this technique, local cultivars can be conserved but also upgraded with one or two improved characteristics. Conventional breeding techniques can be used to introduce disease resistance to crops but usually at the expense of other important characteristics. However, in Ghana, disease resistance to Cassava Mosaic Virus (CMV) has been introduced to mutated cassava material produced by irradiation, which has also been selected for its improved taste and cooking qualities. In summary, over the last thirty years more than 1800 crop varieties worldwide have been developed from selected mutations to provide increased yield, better quality, and combined pest and disease resistance and irradiation has become one of the plant breeders' most valuable tools. Mutant breeding, combined with in vitro and molecular techniques (DNA fingerprinting), is an appropriate technology for many countries which are not prepared for more advanced biotechnology methods (e.g. genetic engineering), offering an affordable way of striving for food security whilst conserving genetic diversity. MUTATION BREEDING Mutation breeding is the process of exposing seeds to chemicals or radiation in order to generate mutants with desirable traits to be bred with other cultivars. Plants created using mutagenesis are sometimes called mutagenic plants or mutagenic seeds. From 19302004 more than 2250 mutagenic plant varietals have been released that have been derived either as direct mutants (70%) or from their progenie (30%).[1] Crop plants account for 75% of released mutagenic species with the remaining 25% ornamentals or decorative plants.[2] However, it is unclear how many of these varieties are currently used in agricultural production around the world, as these seeds are not always identified or labeled as being mutagenic or having a mutagenic provenance.PROCESS There are different kind of mutagenic breeding such as using Chemical mutagens like EMS and DMS, radiation and transposons are used to generate mutants. Mutation

breeding is commonly used to produce traits in crops such as larger seeds, new colors, or sweeter fruits, that either cannot be found in nature or have been lost during evolution. RADIATION BREEDING
Exposing plants to radiation is sometimes called radiation breeding and is a sub class or mutagenic breeding. Radiation breeding was discovered in the 1920s when Lewis J. Stadler of the University of Missouri used X-rays on barley seeds. The resulting plants were white, yellow, pale yellow and some had white stripes.[4] During the period 19302004 Gamma rays were employed to develop 64% of the radiation-induced mutant varieties, followed by X-rays (22%).[2] Radiation breeding may take place in atomic gardens; and seeds have been sent into orbit in order to expose them to more cosmic radiation

HISTORY
According to garden historian Paige Johnson "After WWII, there was a concerted effort to find 'peaceful' uses for atomic energy. One of the ideas was to bombard plants with radiation and produce lots of mutations, some of which, it was hoped, would lead to plants that bore more heavily or were disease or cold-resistant or just had unusual colors. The experiments were mostly conducted in giant gamma gardens on the grounds of national laboratories in the US but also in Europe and countries of the former USSR." Plants: rice, wheat, barley, pears, peas, cotton, peppermint, sunflowers, peanuts, grapefruit, sesame, bananas, cassava and sorghum --- Selection never deletes the unused gene or the bad gene. By mutation it will again appear in any of the successive generation by natural selection. This is the balance between the selection and mutation. It is called as genetic polymorphism also. What DNA does in general and, equally important to evolution, how DNA changes. --- Any chromosome or even a single base can get mutated. Sometimes organisms can suffer because of the drastic change happened due to mutations. For example, Fruit flies have altered the number of wings.

Mutations - an important part in evolution


Examples

Humans and chimpanzees have the same coding sequences with minor changes only. But the genes present in control regions are differ.

Darwinian Evolution through Mutation


Any change occurring in the message that a gene carries end up with Mutation. It mainly occurs while copying DNA during cell divisions. This change will lead to errors in DNA. Mutations are the raw materials of evolution. New alleles and new regulatory regions are created by mutation only.
Plant breeding using mutations. Breeding has been practiced since the early human civilization and selection was the first method of breeding, adding the criteria of suitability for mans use (e.g. larger seed, better taste, easier harvestability) to those of natural adaptation, fitness and offspring. It has been said, that the ultimate source of all heritable variation to select from are mutations. But such a statement leaves open, where the genes to start with and the genetic code came from. Recombination of genes can provide additional genetic variation, if differences exist not only between various genes, but also in form of alleles of particular genes of prospective recombinants. Such alleles derive from mutations. Using mutants in cross breeding requires no in depth knowledge about mutations, because the mutated trait is the object of desire. But when the mutant trait is not inherited as expected, the breeder may begin to think about the actual mutational event, that led to the mutant phenotype. There are different definitions of the term mutation and this may create the impression, that the term is somewhat woolly. Definitions range from a sudden phenotypic change in a character of an individual, not due to crossing or segregation up to an alteration in the

macro-molecule of DNA (where it remains open, whether the alteration leads to a change in gene function or not). Included under the term mutation is also the augmentation of genetic material through nucleotide or gene copies, through additional individual chromosomes, as well as through the multiplication of whole genomes towards polyploidy. In order to speak more clearly about mutations and their potential for crop improvement, it would seem desirable to have different terms at least for (a) the phenotypic alteration and (b) the various underlying molecular and numerical changes. But in any case, a mutation has to be phenotypically expressed to be selectable, all other mutations are only of scientific interest. We have today a relatively good understanding of the processes of mutation induction by UV, by ionizing radiation and also by certain chemical mutagens, but the causes of spontaneous mutations are still to some extent uncertain (HALL 1990; RASMUSSON and PHILLIPS 1997). In particular, the kind and rate of mutations during the millions of years of evolutionary history are subject to discussion, as current mutation rates can hardly explain the progress of past evolution (OHNO 1970; KIYOSAWA and NOMURA 1988; KOINANGE et al. 1996; KENRICK and CRANE 1997). Mutation techniques for plant breeding Nuclear technology is used in plant breeding to develop new varieties by means of induced mutations and related biotechnologies. With the aid of IAEA and UNDP, China has been able to develop new, higher-yielding rice cultivars and extend them to farmers across the country as they strive to produce more food from the 33 million hectares under cultivation with rice. Mutation techniques have produced some promising cytoplasmic male sterile lines which significantly increase the seed set, making the hybrid seed production more economical. Some new early season lines with better grain quality and disease resistance have also been developed in this way. As part of an IAEA Model project, which began in 1995, Chinese scientists examined a number of mutant rice lines and selected two for large-scale trials. The 'Zehfu' lines have performed so well that over 10% of the rice acreage in five Chinese provinces is now planted to these varieties. Chinese scientists are now seeking to develop a variety that can survive in rugged, mountainous areas, where malnutrition is common. The final phase of the project in China will involve introducing newer complementary approaches, such as the double haploid technique (which is used to obtain reliable variety in 3-4 generations) and DNA fingerprinting procedures, to enhance the mutant development process. Improved rice varieties have also been produced by mutation breeding in West Africa, where gamma irradiation of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) has produced varieties with white instead of red kernels. These new white varieties are much preferred by consumers and sell for more than double the usual market price. However, important evolutionary adaptations of African rice, such as its ability to withstand flooding and tolerance of drought stress, have been conserved. Another important staple of West Africa, sorghum, is also undergoing irradiation treatment and, in field trials, some of the new mutant varieties produced have demonstrated increases yield of 30-50%, higher protein content and earlier maturation compared to local cultivars. Some varieties demonstrated an improved tolerance to drought and the new plants also maintained the important characteristics favoured by farmers. Thus, using this technique, local cultivars can be conserved but also upgraded with one or two improved characteristics. Conventional breeding techniques can be used to introduce disease resistance to crops but usually at the expense of other important characteristics. However, in Ghana, disease resistance to Cassava Mosaic Virus (CMV) has been introduced to mutated cassava material produced by irradiation, which has also been selected for its improved taste and cooking qualities. In summary, over the last thirty years more than 1800 crop varieties worldwide have been developed from selected mutations to provide increased yield, better quality, and combined pest and disease resistance and irradiation has become one of the plant breeders' most valuable tools. Mutant breeding, combined with in vitro and molecular techniques (DNA fingerprinting), is an appropriate technology for many countries which are not prepared for more advanced biotechnology methods (e.g. genetic engineering), offering an affordable way of striving for food security whilst conserving genetic diversity.

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