Abstract
We found that the heavy ion beam is an excellent tool for mutation breeding. There are the advantage of ion beam mutagenesis, low dose with high survival rates, high mutations rates and a wide variation. The irradiation treatment given to the various plant materials is short, only seconds or a few minutes, but is enough to induce mutation. A new variety can be obtained by selecting a mutant with a modification to the target characteristic while retaining the existing valuable ones. The time span for breeding can be shortened significantly to two to three yeas. We already put 18 new cultivars on the market since 2002.
