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Rishiraj Raghuvanshi1*, Asmita Pillai1,Pawankumar S. Kharate2,Charu Jamnotia3, Pawan Saini3, Pooja Dhaka3, Ashish Kumar Banjare1 Ganesh Maske,4 R. T. Shende5, Priyal Soni6, Tripti Panday7, Rakesh Yadav3, Sky8 and Suryakant Nagre9
1Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur
2Shivajirao Pawar College of Agriculture, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad)
3Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalay,Gwalior
4Institute of Agriculture Science, Sage University, Indore
5Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik, Maharashtra.
6D Y Patil University in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai
7Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
8Amity University, Noida
9Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Anuppur, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Amarkantak M.P.
Email: rishirajraghuwanshi17@gmail.com
Received-04.10.2025, Revised-16.10.2025, Accepted-30.10.2025
Abstract: Mutation breeding has emerged as a powerful tool in crop improvement, offering a means to generate novel genetic variation beyond what is available in natural germplasm. By inducing mutations through physical and chemical mutagens, breeders have successfully developed improved varieties with enhanced yield, quality, stress resistance, and adaptation traits. Cereals, legumes, oilseeds, horticultural crops, and industrial crops have benefited extensively, with rice, barley, groundnut, soybean, grapefruit, cotton, and vegetatively propagated crops contributing notable success stories. The integration of modern molecular platforms such as TILLING, Mut Map and next-generation sequencing has transformed mutation breeding from a largely random process into a targeted and high-throughput strategy, enabling rapid allele mining and gene discovery. Despite challenges related to large-scale screening, epigenetic instability, linkage drag, and perception issues, advancements in high-throughput phenotyping, predictive breeding, and genomic selection are significantly improving the efficiency of mutant detection and deployment. With growing emphasis on climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, mutation breeding remains a complementary approach to genome editing, capable of creating unique alleles and offering regulatory advantages in many regions. This review highlights the principles, technological innovations, limitations, and success stories of mutation breeding, underscoring its enduring relevance in developing future-ready, sustainable crop varieties.
Keywords: Mutation, Breeding, Crop improvement
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