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What if scientists could create more genetic variation in a crop and then search among those changes for plants with useful characteristics? That is the basic idea behind radiation-induced mutation breeding. It may sound complicated, but the principle is relatively simple: radiation is used as a tool to create genetic variation, and plant breeders then identify and develop the useful changes.
It is not a process in which radiation directly turns an ordinary plant into a “super crop.” The important work happens after treatment - through selection, breeding, testing and evaluation.
What is a mutation?
A mutation is a change in the genetic material of an organism. Mutations occur naturally. Most may have little effect, while some can be harmful. Occasionally, a mutation can produce a characteristic that is useful to farmers.
For example, a plant may show a desirable change related to earlier maturity, plant height, yield, seed size or quality, disease tolerance, drought or heat tolerance, salinity tolerance and Nutritional or processing characteristics. Plant breeders can identify such useful changes and incorporate them into crop-improvement programmes.
Where does radiation come in?
Scientists can expose seeds, plant material or other propagating material to carefully controlled doses of ionising radiation. Sources such as gamma radiation or X-rays can be used to induce mutations.
Treatment does not determine exactly which mutation will occur. Instead, it increases genetic variation. Scientists must then grow and examine the resulting plants to find individuals displaying useful characteristics. This is why mutation breeding is a selection process, not a shortcut.
From one seed to thousands of plants
Imagine researchers are working with a particular crop variety. A batch of seeds may first undergo controlled radiation treatment. Those seeds are then planted. Resulting plants may differ from the original variety in various ways. Researchers observe their growth, maturity, plant structure, yield-related characteristics and other traits.
Plants showing promising characteristics are selected for further study. Process can be represented simply as: Seed or plant material - Controlled radiation - Genetic variation - Planting - Screening - Selection - Breeding - Field testing - New variety. Journey does not end when scientists find one promising plant.
Why is selection so important?
Radiation does not produce only desirable mutations. Many mutations will have no useful agricultural value. Some may even produce undesirable characteristics. Therefore, researchers have to examine large populations of plants and identify those that show the desired combination of traits.
A promising plant may then be crossed with other plants to combine useful characteristics. Several generations of selection and testing may be required before researchers can determine whether a new line is stable and agriculturally valuable.
Is this the same as genetic modification?
No. Radiation-induced mutation breeding and genetic modification are different approaches. In mutation breeding, radiation is used to increase genetic variation, after which breeders select naturally occurring types of genetic changes from the treated population.
Genetic modification, by contrast, involves deliberately altering an organism's genetic material using specific biotechnology techniques, which can include introducing or modifying particular genes. Mutation breeding has been used internationally for decades and is part of conventional plant-breeding research.
India's nuclear agriculture programme
India has used radiation-induced mutation breeding as part of its agricultural research programme. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has a dedicated Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division working on crop improvement.
BARC says its programme uses radiation-induced mutagenesis and hybridisation to develop crop varieties with characteristics including higher yield, early maturity, improved quality and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
According to BARC's current R&D information, 71 crop varieties had been released and Gazette-notified for commercial cultivation by June 2025. Programme covers crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and other agricultural plants.
A banana that came from mutation breeding
One interesting example is Kaveri Vaman (TBM-9) banana. BARC reports that the variety was developed through in-vitro mutagenesis in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli.
It is a mutant of the Grand Naine banana variety. BARC describes Kaveri Vaman as a dwarf banana, with a plant height of approximately 150–160 cm, making it suitable for high-density planting. Example demonstrates an important point: mutation breeding is not simply about increasing yield. Plant architecture and suitability for cultivation systems can also be important breeding objectives.
Another example: sorghum
BARC also lists RTS-43 sorghum, developed in collaboration with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur. Variety is described by BARC as early maturing, with early and synchronized flowering and bold, white, lustrous seeds with good roti-making quality. Here again, several characteristics matter together - not just production.
Can radiation make a crop climate-resilient?
This is an area of growing interest. Agriculture is increasingly exposed to stresses such as heat, drought and salinity. BARC's crop-improvement programme specifically identifies the development of varieties with tolerance to abiotic stresses, alongside improved productivity and quality. But it is important to understand the science correctly.
Radiation does not “teach” a plant to withstand drought or heat. Instead, it creates genetic variation. Researchers then search for plants that happen to possess useful characteristics and develop those traits through breeding and testing.
Why can this matter to farmers?
A new variety can have value only if its characteristics translate into practical benefits in the field. For farmers, useful traits could mean:
Earlier maturity - potentially shorter crop duration
Stress tolerance - potentially better performance under difficult conditions
Disease tolerance- potentially reduced crop losses
Improved quality - potentially better market or processing value
Higher productivity - potentially greater output from available land
The actual benefit, however, depends on the crop, location, farming practices and performance under field conditions.
From radiation laboratory to farmer's field
Most important part of mutation breeding may therefore be what happens after the radiation treatment. Scientists must grow, observe, select and test plants. Promising lines undergo further breeding and evaluation before a variety can be released.
This makes mutation breeding a long-term scientific process involving radiation technology + plant genetics + conventional breeding + field testing. It is a good example of how nuclear science can become one component of a much larger agricultural research system.
India's agricultural future will require many approaches - not one technology. Conventional breeding, molecular biology, biotechnology, improved agronomy, better irrigation, soil management and climate-resilient farming all have roles to play.
Radiation-induced mutation breeding adds another tool to that toolbox. Its real significance lies not in the word “radiation”, but in what scientists can discover through the genetic variation it helps create.
And that leads to the next question: What happens after the crop is harvested? Even a highly productive crop can lose value if it deteriorates during storage or transportation. In next part, we look at another application of nuclear technology: Food irradiation and how controlled radiation can help extend shelf life, control pests and reduce post-harvest losses.
✍Umesh Kumar S, Sr Journalist
Note: Radiation-induced mutation breeding should not be confused with radioactive contamination. Technology uses controlled irradiation to induce genetic variation; the subsequent identification and development of useful traits is carried out through plant-breeding and field-testing processes.
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Keywords
radiation mutation breeding, BARC crop varieties, nuclear agriculture India, crop improvement, mutation breeding, radiation in agriculture, Citizen News Puttur
source: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India