Induced Mutations in Plant Breeding: A Safe and Strategic Tool to Achieve Global Food Security
Ghada Mohammed Shebl Mostafa Abaza*
Editorial Board Member – International Journal of MC Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Egypt
*Corresponding Author: Ghada Mohammed Shebl Mostafa Abaza, Editorial Board Member – International Journal of MC Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Egypt.
Published: July 28, 2025
Abstract
In the face of escalating environmental challenges, shrinking arable land, and a rapidly growing global population, ensuring food security has become a defining challenge of our era. Conventional plant breeding methods, while foundational, often fall short in responding swiftly to modern agricultural demands. In this context, induced mutations have emerged as a safe, cost-effective, and highly promising tool for accelerating crop improvement and expanding genetic diversity.
Unlike transgenic methods, mutation breeding does not introduce foreign genes, making it more acceptable socially and regulatory-wise. It enables plant breeders to enhance specific traits—such as yield potential, stress tolerance, and disease resistance—within relatively short breeding cycles. The impact of this approach is being increasingly recognized in global agricultural strategies, particularly for strategic crops like wheat.
On the national level, this approach has yielded remarkable and globally unprecedented wheat lines, including one particularly outstanding line known as “the Ideal Wheat Plant” or the “Single-Stem Type”.
This unique genotype combines exceptional yield potential with structural simplicity and agronomic efficiency. It represents a major breakthrough in addressing longstanding agricultural, economic, and logistical challenges associated with wheat cultivation, and is aligned with global aspirations to develop high-yield, resource-efficient cereal crops.
The successful development of such superior genotypes—through mutation breeding—demonstrates the untapped potential of this technique when combined with rigorous selection and scientific insight. It also reinforces the role of national research programs in contributing not only to local food security, but to global agricultural advancement.
As scientists and members of the agricultural research community, we are called to advocate for wider integration of mutation breeding in national policies, funding priorities, and academic curricula. It is no longer a marginal tool, but rather a strategic pathway toward sustainable, high-impact crop improvement.
Our journal remains committed to supporting and disseminating scientific work in this field. It is my hope that we continue to highlight these success stories and foster greater international collaboration in using mutation techniques as a driver of agricultural resilience and food security worldwide.