Table 2.

List of common physical agents used in physical mutagenesis (Maluszynski et al., 2009, 2016; Magori et al., 2010; Leitao, 2012; Bado et al., 2015; Suprasanna et al., 2015; Spencer‐Lopes et al., 2018)

Physical agent	Abbreviation	Type	Source
γ‐rays	–	Ionising	60Co – 137Cs
X‐rays	–	Ionising	X‐ray tubes with cylindrical anode
UV light	–	Non‐ionising	UV lamps
Protons	–	Ionising	Particle accelerators Cosmic radiation
Fast neutron bombardment	FNB	Ionising	Nuclear reactors/atomic piles
α‐particles	–	Ionising	Radionuclide 32P
β‐particles	–	Ionising	Radioactive isotopes 7Be
Ion beam radiation	IBR	Ionising	20Ne, 14N, 12C, 7Li, 40Ar, He, H, Si or 56Fe as radioisotope sources accelerated by cyclotron/synchrotron