Chapter 15 - Mutation breeding and mutants of ornamental plants: the role of NBRI for economic gains

Mutation breeding has emerged as major and practical tool of plant improvement for decades and has revolutionized the concept of plant breeding. Mutation breeding has been primarily used for the improvement of cereals, pulses and other food crops. The introduction of this technique in improving the ornamental crops has raised a hope of its application in the industrial and business sector. In the present chapter, newly released ornamental plants with emphasis on mutant varieties, developed at the National Botanical Research Institute Lucknow, India and which have contributed to the economic growth of the country, are being discussed. Recommendations have been made for wider application of mutant breeding in ornamental plants.