Introduction to Plant Breeding

Abstract

Perspectives in plant breeding. The evolution of cultivated plants. Plant introductions. Mode of reproduction in relation to plant-breeding methods. Variability in plants. Genes and qualitative characters. Genes and qualitative characters. Quantitative inheritance. Role of the environment in plant breeding. Selection in self-pollinated crops. Hybridization and gene combinations. Breeding self-pollinated crops by hybridization and pedigree selection. Bulk population method of breeding self-pollinated plants. The backcross method of breeding. Cross-pollinated crops. Control of cross-pollination. Selection in cross-pollinated crops. Inbreeding and heterosis. Hybrid varieties. Recurrent selection. Synthetic varieties. Autoploidy in plant breeding. Alloploidy.Aneuploids. Mutagens and crop improvement. Interspecific hybridization. Interspecific transfer of characters. Genetics of resistance to diseases and insects. Breeding for resistance to diseases and insects. Maintenance and distribution of varieties. Field-plot technique and experimental design.