2024, Vol. 6, Issue 11, Part B

Author(s): Aisha Al-Mazrouei, Khalid Al-Balushi and Mariam Al-Harthy

Abstract: Mutation breeding has emerged as a cost-effective and sustainable approach for enhancing genetic diversity and improving crop traits. While conventional breeding has contributed significantly to food production, its limited capacity to address complex nutritional traits has created a pressing need for integrative methods. This study examined the role of cross-disciplinary approaches linking agriculture, nutrition, and biotechnology in optimizing mutation breeding for fruit crops with the aim of improving dietary quality and combating malnutrition. Using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), banana (Musa spp.), and pomegranate (Punica granatum) as model crops, controlled mutagenic treatments with gamma rays, EMS, and sodium azide were applied, and subsequent generations were evaluated for yield, nutritional quality, and molecular variation. Results showed statistically significant improvements (corrected) in key nutritional traits, including vitamin C, lycopene, carotenoids, and phenolics, particularly under EMS and gamma treatments, with minimal yield penalties. One-way ANOVA confirmed statistically significant differences across treatments, while correlation analysis revealed a strong positive association between SNP counts in nutrient-pathway genes and enhanced vitamin C content, validating the effectiveness of integrating molecular tools with nutritional profiling. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that combining induced mutagenesis with molecular validation and nutritional assays can accelerate the development of biofortified fruit varieties. The study concludes that cross-disciplinary mutation breeding not only improves nutritional attributes but also provides a practical framework for sustainable agriculture and public health. Practical recommendations include the establishment of interdisciplinary breeding programs, greater farmer awareness of nutritionally enriched varieties, and investments in research infrastructure to support molecular and nutritional analyses. The results contribute to advancing nutrition-sensitive agriculture and highlight mutation breeding as a transformative strategy for addressing global malnutrition while ensuring agricultural productivity.

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