Principles of Variety Maintenance for Quality Seed Production

Abstract

Development of new plant varieties is key to sustainable agriculture, specially given that climate change poses newer challenges with uncertainties of production ecosystems. However, to accrue the full genetic potential of a variety, it is essential to maintain the variety in true-to-type, as it was released for commercial use. The methodology adopted to maintain the genotypic constitution of a variety through the series of multiplication (generations) is known as variety maintenance or maintenance breeding. Its successful implementation needs a thorough understanding of the breeding methodology, varietal characteristics, and the influence of the environment on them. Though specific procedures of variety maintenance are followed for each crop group, which are based on their flowering, pollination behaviour and other essential traits, the basic principles are based on the mode of pollination (self- or cross-pollinated) and genetic constitutions.