Mutation breeding as panacea for food shortage and malnutrition in Nigeria’s Sahel (a review)

Abstract

The Nigeria's Sahel characterized as semi degradations due to natural and artificial factors. The natural factors are incessant droughts, desertification and short rainy season that limit crop production and decrease yield. The artificial factors include deforestation to feed more mouths and religious upheavals. These problems lead to low crop yields and inability of the subsistence agriculture to meet their social demands with increased spate of malnutrition, hunger and starvatio Victims abandoned their farmlands to seek refuge in the urban and semi country thereby leaving the land barren. Efforts are therefore needed to boost food production in the area. Mutation breeding is one of the best methods employed improve crops quality and quantity. It provides the ability of producing crops that are stress tolerance, longer life span, early maturing, high nutritional composition and yields with low agronomic inputs This study therefore aimed at review breeding in improving crops quality and quantity so as to call the attention of the scientific community and the authorities concerned upon the application of mutants varieties in the area to boost crops production, call the national development. Priority crops such as cereals and legumes as well as vegetables needed in the diets ought to be improved by artificial mutagenesis. The method unlike others is more reliable, more ethical and safer. It provides crops that are better in both nutritional quality and quantity and hence safer to consume.