Plant Breeding: Introduction, Objectives, Basic steps

Plant Breeding: Introduction, Objectives, Basic steps:-

Introduction:-

·   Plant reproduction is a natural process while plant breeding is an artificial process.

·   Plant Breeding:- This is an art and science by which genetic improvements are made in plants to make them economically more beneficial.

·   Genetic Improvements:-

i. Vigorous in Growth

ii. Lodging Resistant

iii. Insect Resistant

iv. Disease Resistant

v. Cold Resistant

vi. Drought Resistant

Nature of Plant Breeding:-

·  Initially the nature of plant breeding was artistic.

·  As with time the knowledge of plant breeders grew up, the use of science get increased and the use of art get decreased in plant breeding.

·  Thus at present the nature of plant breeding is artistic as well as scientific.

Objectives of Plant Breeding:- The main objective of plant breeding is to make stable genetic changes in plants to make them economically more beneficial.

·  More Yield:- More income

·  More Quality:- More income

·   Resistant Varieties:- 

i. Insect Resistance

ii. Disease Resistant

iii. Cold Resistance

iv. Drought Resistance

·   More Efficient Varieties:- So that plants can utilize more manure, fertilizers and irrigation.

·   Early Maturation:- Plants get protected from late season insects and diseases.

·   Synchronous Growth:- The problem of shattering get overcomed so that crop yield get increased.

Role of Plant Breeding:-

1. Nobilization of Indian Sugarcane:- Indian sugarcane is genetically improved by crossing Saccharum barberi (Indian sugarcane) with Saccharum officinarum (tropical sugarcane) at Sugarcane Breeding Center, Coimbatore. Indian sugarcane have very hard stem, less yield and less juice content while tropical sugarcane have very soft stem, more yield, more juice content, very less fiber content, thick stem and soft peel. But tropical sugarcane has very less yield in Indian climate. Hence superior traits of tropical sugarcane are transferred into Indian sugarcane by hybridization. This process is called as nobilization of sugarcane.

2. Development of semi-dwarf varieties:-

i. In Rice:- Dee – geo – woo – gen, Taching Native 1, IR 8

Following superior traits are found in above 3 varieties:-

·  Lodging Resistant

·  High Yielding

·  Fertilizer Responsive

·  Photo insensitive

ii. In Wheat:- Kalyan Sona, Sonalika. 

Following superior traits are found in above 2 varieties:-

·  Lodging Resistant

·  High Yielding

·  Fertilizer Responsive

·  Rust Resistant

·   Photo insensitive

3. Development of hybrid varieties in Cotton:- H4 hybrid variety of cotton is developed by C. T. Patel at Surat center of Gujarat Agriculture University. Some other hybrid varieties of cotton are - Godavari, Savitri, Varalakshmi, Jayalakshmi.

4. Development of hybrid varieties in Sorghum, Bajra and Maize:-

i. In Sorghum:- CSH 1 to CSH 11

ii. In Bajra:- PHB 10, PHB 14, BJ 104, BK 506

iii. In maize:- Manjri, Vikram, Sona, Vijay, Kisan