Aims of plant breeding
The first and foremost aim in plant breeding is to create useful variation in the crop plant. This can be achieved by the following measures.
1. Bringing wild food crops to cultivation. (wheat, oats and many cereal crops were once wild plants which had now been domesticated).
2. Obtaining genes from desirable plants or related species (eg. as seeds from various parts of the world).
3. Introduction of plants from nearby regions or even from other
countries for improvement of the crop. (eg. cauliflower, tomato,
potato and soyabeans).
4. By employing certain plant breeding techniques, new varieties are
developed. eg. maize, sorghum, cotton and sunflower.
5. Auto and Allopolyploid breeding.
6. By inducing mutations using physical and chemical mutagens.
7. Production of haploids by the application of plant tissue culture of
anther and ovary.
8. Improvement of nutritional quality by genetic engineering (eg.
Fortified rice – iron rich rice and carotene rich rice).
9. Development of disease, drought and environmental stress resistant
varieties.
Other links
Plant physiology – photosynthesis and its significance
BIOLOGY IN HUMAN WELFARE Introduction & Food production
Aspects of plant breeding and Types
Hybridization in plant breeding
Polyploid breeding, Mutation breeding, Breeding for disease resistance
Genetic engineering, Improved varieties, Role of biofertilizers
Green manuring, Mycorrhiza as biofertilizer
Crop diseases and their control, Rice – Oryza sativa
Groundnut or peanut – Arachis hypogea
Citrus canker, Tungro disease of rice
Biocontrol of insect pests Bacterial pesticides
Bio war, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in biological warfare
Biopiracy, Bioresources, Biomolecules, Biopatent, Biotechnology
Medicinal plants including microbes
Commonly Available Medicinal Plants
Economic importance of Food plant Rice
Oil plant Groundnut Economic importance
Fibre plant – Cotton Economic importance
Timber yielding plant Teak Economic importance