Considerations on the use of protein mutants in cross-breeding

A part of the problem in breeding for protein improvement is defining the basis upon which the work should proceed; this is discussed. A consideration of quantitive and qualitative improvement in protein content ultimately gives rise to the question of yield recovery. Examples are given of the efforts under way with different crops to ultilize spontaneous and induced protein mutants in cross-breeding programmes to improve the protein characters while retaining yield capacity. (author)