Mutation breeding in underutilized cereal crops: a review

Mutation breeding is a method of plant breeding using physical and chemical mutagenic induction to generate genetic diversity. This approach is taken when the genetic diversity of the desired trait is narrow. Mutation breeding in major cereal crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have been widely carried out, but underutilized cereal crops are rarely carried out. The purpose of this literature review was to discuss the development and techniques of mutation breeding in underutilized cereal crops i.e. sorghum, millet, and adlay. Article searches were carried out on various research articles and review articles. Mutation breeding has been widely carried out, especially on sorghum and millet, but little has been done on adlay. Mutagens that were widely used were gamma-ray irradiation and EMS. The TILLING approach was used to speed up the molecular selection process. The Rapid Cycling Method was also used to accelerate the purification process of mutant lines in each generation. Mutation breeding produces a number of mutant varieties in underutilized cereal crops. Several techniques can be used to speed up the breeding process.