Plant Breeding - The Science of Creation & Variation

 

    We all are humans and we have emotions.  Do you know what is the world's deepest form of happiness?  It is creating a new life, it means that you are the point of creation. You are the god.  Seems unethical but true, you can be the god of your own creation. Want to know how?

    Let's begin....

    Here the creation is a plant, and creator is you .  So, today we are going to learn the science and art of creation through variation by means of genetics.  And it is called " Plant Breeding"

     Genetics is a branch of science that deals with the study of  heredity and variation.  The Study of cell and its organelles is called cytology, then the study of cell genetics is called cytogenetics.  It is the application of knowledge of genetics to create a new genotype.

Plant Breeding:

    Plant breeding is a branch of science/biology which refers to change in genotype of plants based on the principle of genetics, so that the changes are most useful to human beings.

INTRODUCTION

Scientific Art:

    Agriculture begun when our ancestors started to know that seeds germinate to give plants.
It is means food is nearby and actually you can create one.  How? When? By what means?
It needs patience , practice and determination to select a perfect variety that is most suitable for our consumption.  They did it!

    Yes! by trial and error .  It was hypothetical. Then came the art of selection. So, we observe, state a hypothesis, experiment and got the result ( new plant). Oh yes! we did science.  Plant breeding is a combination of art and science.

Aim:

    To create variation

Objectives:

1. To increase the yield.
2. Improve the quality.
3. Resistance to biotic ands abiotic stress
4. Free from toxins
5. Early maturity.
6. To improve the agronomical characters
7. Prevent lodging
8. To create photo insensitive crops
9. Non- shattering fruits
10. Synchronization of maturity
11. Elimination of dormancy.

History:

700 BC         -    Babylonians pollinated date palm without any knowledge of genetics.
1717             -    Thomas Fairchild produced first artificial hybrid.
1760-1766    -    Joseph Koelreuter - extensive crossing in tobacco.
Knight     - first man to develop new fruit verities by artificial hybridization
1856        -    Vilmorin developed 'Progeny Test'
1900        -    Nilson - Individual plant selection
1903        -    Johannson proposed the pureline theory.
G.H. Shull     - Inbreeding in maize

ACTIVITIES IN PLANT BREEDING: