GMO Myths and Truths

1.3 Myth: GM is just another form of mutation breeding and is
nothing to worry about
Truth: Mutation breeding brings its own problems and should
be strictly regulated
Proponents often describe GM as just another
form of mutation breeding, a method of plant
breeding which they say has been successfully used
for decades and is not controversial. They argue
that mutation breeding is regulated no differently
than conventional breeding, that genetic
modification is just another form of mutation
breeding, and that therefore, genetic modification
should not be regulated any more stringently than
conventional breeding.
However, scientific evidence exposes flaws in
this logic.
1.3.1. What is mutation breeding?
The physical form of an organism’s genetic
blueprint is the sequence of the four “letters” of
the genetic alphabet structured within the DNA
molecules. Mutations are physical alterations in
the sequence of letters within the DNA. Mutation
breeding is the process of exposing plant seeds
to ionizing radiation (x-rays or gamma rays) or
mutagenic chemicals in order to increase the rate
of mutation in the DNA.
Just as you can change the meaning of a
sentence by changing the sequence of letters in
the sentence, you can change the “meaning” of a
gene by changing the sequence of letters within
the genetic code of the DNA of an organism.
A mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that
causes such changes.
This process of change in the DNA is known as
mutagenesis. Mutagenesis can either completely
destroy the function of a gene – that is, “knock out”
its function, or it can change the sequence of letters
of the genetic code in the gene, causing it to direct
the cell to produce one or more proteins with altered
function. The resulting plant is called a mutant.
1.3.2. Where did radiation-induced
mutation breeding come from?
Mutation breeding using radiation was first
seriously investigated in the 1950s, after the US
atomic bombing of Japan at the end of World War
II in 1945. In the wake of the devastation, there
was a desire to find uses for the “peaceful atom”
that were helpful to humanity. Atomic Gardens
were set up in the US and Europe with the aim of
creating high-yielding and disease-resistant crops.
They were laid out in a circle with a radiation
source in the middle that exposed plants and their
seeds to radiation. This would cause mutations in
the plants that it was hoped would be beneficial.
To the lay population this was euphemistically
described as making the plants “atom energized”.
The results were poorly documented – certainly
they do not qualify as scientific research – and
it is unclear whether any useful plant varieties
emerged from Atomic Garden projects. 5
Today, radiation-induced mutation breeding is
carried out in laboratories, but this branch of plant
breeding retains strong links with the nuclear
industry. The main database of crop varieties
generated using radiation- and chemicallyinduced
mutation breeding is maintained by
the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and
the International Atomic Energy Agency. 6 Many
studies and reports that recommend radiationinduced
mutation breeding are sponsored by
7 8
organizations that promote nuclear energy.
1.3.3. Is mutation breeding widely
used?
Mutation breeding is not a widely used or central
part of crop breeding, though a few crop varieties
have apparently benefited from it. A database
maintained by the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation and the International Atomic Energy
Agency keeps track of plant varieties that have
been generated using mutation breeding and
by cross-breeding with a mutant plant. 6 There
are only around 3,000 such plant varieties. This
number includes not only crop plants but also
GMO Myths and Truths 12