Author(s):

Shashikala S Kolakar, Sadashiv Nadukeri, Shridevi A Jakkeral, Lakshmana D, Hanumanthappa M and Gangaprasad S

Abstract: Medicinal and aromatic plants are important sources of plant secondary metabolites, which are important for human health care. Over three-quarters of the world population relies mainly on plants and plant extracts for health care. More than 30 per cent of the entire plant species at one time or otherwise used for medicinal purposes. Variability in most of the medicinal and aromatic crops is very narrow. Mutation breeding has been successfully utilised for the improvement of crops as well as to supplement the efforts made using traditional methods of plant breeding. Induced mutation is the ultimate source to alter the genetics of crop plants that may be difficult to bring through cross breeding and other breeding procedures. Therefore, during the last several years, different mutagens have been used by various workers to induce genetic variability in various medicinal and aromatic crops. In periwinkle ‘Dhawal’ (NCIMB Accession No. 41147), a high alkaloid producing variety produced by chemical mutagen treatment of seeds followed by rigorous selection in widely cultivated variety ‘Nirmal’. Variety Aela was developed in henbane with vigorous growth and yield of 73qt which was 109 per cent more than the normal variety. There was increase in the level of steroidal sapogenin (diosgenin) in <em>Trigonella corniculata</em> following chemical mutagenesis using dimethyl and diethyl sulphate. Variety Sujata was developed through mutagenesis in opium poppy which is non narcotic (opium less and alkaloid free). Thus mutation assisted plant breeding will play a crucial role in the generation of designer crop varieties to address the threats and challenges of present and future needs in medicinal and aromatic crops.

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