Author : Sumanggono A.M.R.; Mugiono; Ratma R.

Summary : Abstract: Rice is the staple food for almost all of the Indonesian people, whereas legumes i.e. soybean, peanut and mungbean are important supplement food. Increasing food crop production is the main programme of National Agriculture Development due to increasing the population. Although national production and productivity of food crops has increased the last two decades, the rate of increase is much less than demand, so the government should import food from other countries. Although improving variety is not and absolute thing to increase productivity, it gives important contribution in increasing the production. Mutation breeding activities in the Centre for Research and Development of Isotopes and Radiation Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency, had been carried out in rice, mungbean and soybean. Mutation breeding in rice was started in 1972 and had been officially released 5 lowland and 1 upland rice varieties i,e Atomiat 1, Atomita 2, Atomita 3, Atomita 4, Cilosari lowland rice varieties and Situgintung upland variety. Soybean mutation breeding activities were strted in 1980 and had been officially released 3 soybean varieties i.e. Muria, Tengger, and Meratus; whereas mungbean mutation breeding activities started in 1983, and up to now only 1 variety, i.e. Camar mungbean variety had been officially released. Another upland rice variety named Danau Atas was also derived from irradiated Seratus Malam upland rice variety, was officially released from the Central Research Institute for Food Crops, Agency for Agricultural Research and Development.