Mutation Breeding for Crop Improvement

Abstract

In the present scenario of sky high population, depleting arable land and water resource, erratic rainfalls global food insecurity is a major challenge to the human existence. The food insecurity is further facilitated by the major climatic change that plays a pivotal role in reducing the food production. The development of climate smart varieties may help in increasing the food productivity by their wider adaptability to range of ecosystems. The most viable approach to develop the climate smart varieties is the mutation breeding which creates the genetic variability by modifying a single gene without altering the entire genome. The development of crop varieties which can withstand the climatic change and other environmental fluctuations can play a vital role to combat global food insecurity This article highlights the role of mutation breeding in crop improvement and thus overcoming the challenges of food security due to rising population Key