**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2534, to be answered on December 16th, 2025. The question concerns the development of crop varieties using radiation techniques. The response provides details on the varieties developed, their safety, and their release for cultivation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Crop Variety Development**
* In the last five years, 23 crop varieties were released for cultivation using radiation techniques.
* These include:
* 7 rice varieties
* 5 mustard varieties
* 3 black gram (urad) varieties
* 3 sorghum (jowar) varieties
* 2 groundnut varieties
* 1 mung bean variety
* 1 sesamum (til) variety
* 1 banana variety
* To date, 72 improved crop varieties have been developed through radiation and released for cultivation.
* **Characteristics and Release of New Varieties**
* New varieties are released for various agro-climatic conditions and growing seasons.
* Desirable traits include: increased yield, larger seed size, seed dormancy, early maturity, higher nutrient content, resistance to lodging, improved disease resistance, and wider adaptability to abiotic stresses.
* All varieties are deemed safe for consumption.
* **Safety and Evaluation**
* Radiation-based mutagenesis accelerates the natural mutation process and doesn't make seeds radioactive.
* This method has been used safely for 8-9 decades.
* Developed mutants are thoroughly evaluated by ICAR/SAU.
* They are tested for superiority and adaptability, including nutritional quality.
* Varietal identification committees of ICAR/SAU recommend release based on superiority.
* **Release for Cultivation**
* Crop varieties are officially released for cultivation after successful field trials and evaluations by ICAR or SAUs at multiple locations.
* Gazette notifications for the release of newly developed crop varieties have been issued by MoAFW.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Farmers**
**Impact:** They will have access to newly developed crop varieties with improved traits (yield, disease resistance, etc.) suitable for various agro-climatic conditions.
**Action Required:** Participate in field trials and evaluations, adopt released varieties according to recommendations from ICAR/SAUs.
**Stakeholder: Consumers**
**Impact:** They will have access to food products from new crop varieties that have been rigorously tested and are safe for consumption, with improved nutritional qualities.
**Action Required:** No immediate action required.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for agricultural research and education, and for answering parliamentary questions related to crop development.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): Organization responsible for evaluating newly developed mutants to test their superiority and adaptability.
State Agricultural University (SAU): Evaluates newly developed mutants to test their superiority and adaptability, alongside ICAR.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2534
TO BE ANSWERED ON 16TH DECEMBER, 2025
DEVELOPMENT OF CROP VARIETIES USING RADIATION TECHNIQUE
2534. SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SHRI DULU MAHATO:
SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:
SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:
SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:
SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृषि और ककसान
कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:
(a) the details of crop varieties which have been developed during the last five years using
radiation technique;
(b) the features or characteristics of the newly introduced crop varieties that distinguish
them from the earlier varieties;
(c) whether any assessment or examination has been undertaken regarding the safety of
these new varieties for consumption;
(d) if so, the details of the studies or evaluations conducted in this regard; and
(e) whether these crop varieties have been released after field trials for cultivation by the
farmers and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृषि और ककसान कल्याण राज्य मंत्री (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)
(a): During the last 5 years, a total of 23 varieties were released for cultivation by using
radiation techniques. These include 7 varieties of rice, 5 of mustard, 3 of black gram (urad),
3 of sorghum (jowar), 2 of groundnut, one of mung bean, one of sesamum(til) and one of
banana. Till date 72 improved crop varieties were developed through radiation and released
for cultivation.
1(b): The new varieties are released for different agro-climatic conditions of various states
and different growing seasons (rainy, post-rainy and summer). These have key desirable
traits like increased yield, larger seed size, seed dormancy, early maturity, higher nutrient
content, resistance to lodging, improved disease resistance and wider adaptability to abiotic
stresses.
(c) to (e): Yes, all varieties are absolutely safe for consumption. Radiation based
mutagenesis only accelerates the natural process of mutation induction. Only seeds are
exposed to radiation for inducing mutations in their DNA. This process does not make the
seeds radioactive, and particularly, radiation-induced mutagenesis has been safely used for
the last 8-9 decades worldwide to improve crop varieties. The newly developed mutants
developed through use of radiations are thoroughly evaluated in the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) / State Agricultural University (SAU) evaluation system to test
their superiority and adaptability over the existing local, zonal and national check varieties in
station, multi-location and adaptive trials in the field of actual farmers. The highest-
performing genotypes are also evaluated for their nutritional-quality parameters such as oil
content, carbohydrate content, protein and fat content etc. After this rigorous testing, based
on its superiority (over check varieties), the newly developed mutant line is recommended
for release by the varietal identification committees of ICAR/SAU. All these crop varieties are
officially released for cultivation by farmers following successful field trials and evaluations
conducted by ICAR or SAUs at multiple locations. In this regard, gazette notifications for
release of newly developed crop varieties have been issued by Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare (MoAFW).
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