Course

Practical

• Floral biology in self and cross pollinated species;
• Selfing and crossing techniques;
• Selection methods in segregating populations and evaluation of breeding material;
• Analysis of variance (ANOVA);
• Estimation of heritability and genetic advance;
• Maintenance of experimental records;
• Learning techniques in hybrid seed production using male-sterility in field crops;
• Prediction of performance of double cross hybrid.

Unit I

Theory

Early Plant Breeding; Accomplishments through plant breeding; Objectives of plant breeding; Patterns of Evolution in Crop Plants: Centre of Origin, Agro-biodiversity and its significance. Pre-breeding and plant introduction and role of plant genetic resources in plant breeding.

Unit II

 Genetic basis of breeding: self and cross pollinated crops including mating systems and response to selection; Nature of variability, components of variation; Heritability and genetic advance, genotype environment interaction; General and specific combining ability; Types of gene actions and implications in plant breeding.

Unit III

 Pure line theory, pure line and mass selection methods; pedigree, bulk, backcross, single seed descent and multiline breeding; Population breeding in self-pollinated crops with special reference to diallel selective mating; Transgressive breeding.

Unit IV

Breeding methods in cross pollinated crops; Population breeding: mass selection and ear-to-row methods; S1 and S2 progeny testing, progeny selection schemes, recurrent selection schemes for intra and inter-population improvement and development of synthetics and composites. Hybrid breeding: genetical and physiological basis of heterosis and inbreeding, production of inbreeds, breeding approaches for improvement of inbreeds, predicting hybrid performance; seed production of hybrid and their parent varieties/ inbreeds. Self-incompatibility, male sterility and apomixes in crop plants and their commercial exploitation.

Unit V

Breeding methods in asexually/ clonally propagated crops, clonal selection.

Unit VI

Special breeding techniques: Mutation breeding, Breeding for abiotic and biotic stresses; Concept of plant ideotype and its role in crop improvement, concept of MAS, concept of polyploidy and wide hybridization, doubled haploidy.

Unit VII

 Cultivar development: testing, release and notification, maintenance breeding, Participatory Plant Breeding, Plant breeders’ rights and regulations for plant variety protection and farmers rights.

To impart theoretical knowledge and practical skills about plant breeding objectives, genetic consequences, breeding methods for crop improvement.