Recent Advances and Achievements in Mutation Breeding of Fruit Crops: A Review

Genetic variation is essential for crop breeding. In classical plant breeding programme, variation is generated by hybridization and selections are made from the resulting segregating generations. Induced mutagenesis can supplement hybridization or able to replace as a source of variability. Since, mutations bring about variation, they provide the ultimate basis for evolution of new forms, varieties or species. Induced and spontaneous mutations have played an important role in developing improved cultivars of various fruit crops as a supplementary method to conventional breeding. But, induced mutations also have well defined limitations in fruit breeding applications, but their possibilities may be expanded by the use of in vitro mutation techniques.