As a new mutagen applied in mutagenic breeding, the ion beam showed many good effects including high mutagenic ratio, extensively mutagenic spectrum and low physiological damage. It also has a certain degree of directivity and reproducibility. The paper overviewed the characteristics, mutagenic mechanism, mutagenic effects of ion beam, as well as summarized the progress of ion implantation in plant breeding, and put forward the application prospect of this technology.Cited