Induced Mutagenesis and Breeding of Plants

Abstract

Ion beams are useful tools for induced mutagenesis and breeding of plants. They are characteristic of high linear energy transfer and distinct from gamma-rays or electron beams; wider mutation spectrum, higher mutation frequency, and higher rate of large insertion or deletion on DNA. Not only more than 30 newly registered plant varieties but also new valuable microorganisms have been generated by ion beams accelerated by the AVF cyclotron in TIARA. Developing effective methods to isolate mutants with specific traits is a future challenge.