Question

What are the main limitations of the use of mutation breeding for crop improvement?

Answer 1

The important limitations of mutation breeding are:

They are sometimes harmful to organism.

The frequencies of the mutants which are desirable are usually low.

The absence of detailed information of the mutagens is not good method of crop improvement.

Screening the large population must be done for selecting the desirable mutation.

Certain desirable mutations are sometimes associated with the undesirable side effects.

The detection of the recessive mutation in the clonal crops is difficult. Since most of the mutations are recessive.

The mutation breeding in the polyploidy species is difficult and large doses of mutagens must be applied.