Vol. 10, Issue 6 (2021)

Author(s):
Jhilick Banerjee, Yogendra Singh and MK Shrivastava

Abstract:
It has always been a continous practice to search for technologies and advances to address the problem of food insecurity resulting due to the increasing population. Increasing the production of varieties oriented towards the ongoing demands as well as climate resilient varieties is the need of the hour. This literature highlights the applications of mutations in the improvement of Soybean. Mutation breeding has proved to be a important supplement along with other plant breeding techniques in creating new genetic variability, improving crop architecture, enhancing biochemical constitution as well as enhancing the growth and development cycles. The agents that create mutations are termed as mutagens. Both physical as well as chemical mutagens are used to induce mutation in seeds and planting material. After induction of mutation the mutant lines are selected on the basis of desirable traits in various field trials whereby the extreme mutants are discarded. Finally only the desirable mutant lines at multilocation trials are selected as a new variety or used as parents in hybridisation programme. Therefore the use of mutations as well as the different agents used to create mutations in particularly Soybean has been well documented and reviewed in the following literature.