Which radiation is commonly used for inducing mutation in crops?
Since the 1960s, gamma rays have become the most commonly used mutagenic agent in plant mutation breeding. Seeds or other plant propagules (such as pollen, spores or stem cuttings) are typically treated for seconds or minutes with a cobalt-60 source, or are irradiated in X-ray machines.
Why do researchers use radiation to induce mutations in plants?
Radiation-induced mutation is one the most widely used method to improve direct mutant varieties compared to acclimatization, selection, hybridization, which are laborious, time consuming, and also with limited genetic variation [15].
What are radiation-induced mutations?
Gene mutations resulting from radiation-induced damage to DNA have been produced experimentally in many types of organisms. In general, the frequency of a given mutation increases in proportion to the dose of radiation in the low-to-intermediate dose range.
Is mutation breeding induced to a plant?
Mutation breeding, sometimes referred to as “variation breeding”, is the process of exposing seeds to chemicals, radiation, or enzymes 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.
Which of the following is used to induce mutation in plants?
Gamma rays
Gamma rays (from cobalt 60) is generally used for induced mutation in crop plants.
Which chemical mutagen is frequently used in plant breeding?
The most commonly used chemical mutagen in plants is ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS).
What are the different methods of inducing mutations?
Mutations can be induced by several methods. The three general approaches used to generate mutations are radiation, chemical and transposon insertion.
How do you induce mutations?
Mutations can be induced in a variety of ways, such as by exposure to ultraviolet or ionizing radiation or chemical mutagens. Since the 1950s, over 2,000 crop varieties have been developed by inducing mutations to randomly alter genetic traits and then selecting for improved types among the progeny.
How different types of radiation can cause mutation?
High levels of ionizing radiation can result in double-strand DNA breaks. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun results in dimerization of thymidine residues in DNA, and defective repair of these dimers leads to mutation.
What is chemically induced mutation?
Glossary Term. Chemically Induced Mutation. MGI Glossary. Definition. A mutation induced by treatment with a chemical mutagen, for example, ENU (ethyl nitrosourea) or chlorambucil.
What is pure line selection?
Pure-line selection involves selecting and breeding progeny from superior organisms for a number of generations until a pure line of organisms with only the desired characteristics has been established.
What does EMS do to plants?
The most commonly used chemical mutagen in plants is ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). EMS has been shown to induce primarily single base point mutations. Hundreds to thousands of heritable mutations can be induced in a single plant line.
How is ionizing radiation used to induce mutations in plants?
Ionizing radiation is a widely used physical agent to treat the seeds and other plant material of crops to create heritable mutations. Natural means to induce genetic diversity have been exploited for many millennia to improve major food crops. However, the frequency of such mutations is insufficient to meet current needs.
How are natural agents used to induce mutations in plants?
To artificially induce hereditary changes in plants, either physical or chemical agents are used. Ionizing radiation is a widely used physical agent to treat the seeds and other plant material of crops to create heritable mutations. Natural means to induce genetic diversity have been exploited for many millennia to improve major food crops.
How is radiation used to generate genetic variation?
However, radiation can be used to induce mutations and thereby generate genetic variation from which desired mutants may be selected. Mutation induction has become a proven way of creating variation within a crop variety.
How are radiation treatments used in plant breeding?
Moreover, radiation treatment services are provided to foster applications of nuclear techniques in crop improvement programmes of Member States and more specifically to render direct support to plant breeders by efficient generation of mutations.