Teaching Responsibilities

PLSC 776 Advanced Plant Breeding

PLANT SCIENCES 776 is a lecture that will cover techniques and methodology involved in breeding self and cross-pollinated crops.  The proper application of basic genetic principals to crop improvement will be emphasized.

 PRE-REQUISITES:

 An introductory course in plant breeding, PLSC 724 and courses in statistics including experimental design PLSC 726 are required.

 COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1-          To review several basic concepts that contribute to an understanding of the genetics and breeding of self and cross-pollinated crops.

 

2-          Discuss strategies and specific methods utilized in variety and population improvement and related research.

 

3-          To develop student interest and awareness of past and present activity reported in the literature on the genetic improvement of self and cross-pollinated crops.

 

REFERENCES: 

Textbooks on library reserves.

Journal articles.

Class handouts.

 

GRADING: 

            Three one hour exams (20% each)

Final exam (25%)

Homework sets (15%)

 

TEXTS: 1- Principles of cultivar development. Vol. 1. Theory and technique. (ed.) W.R. Fehr.

               2- Quantitative genetics in maize breeding.  A.R. Hallauer and J.B. Miranda, FO.

COURSE OUTLINE 

Heritability

Definitions

Methods of estimation

Factors influencing heritability 

Genotype X Environment Interaction

Models

Implications in testing program

Stability of genotype performance 

Parent selection in a breeding program

Criteria for selecting parents

Type of crosses and strategies

Sources of parental germplasm 

Breeding Methodology

Pedigree method

Bulk method

Single-seed descent method

Backcross method

Production of doubled haploids 

Mixture, Blends, and Composites 

Early Generation Testing 

Selection Index - Multiple Trait Selection 

Linkage and Plant Breeding 

Introgression of Exotic Germplasm and Genetic Diversity

Wide crosses

Interspecific hybridization

Winter X Spring crosses

Recurrent Selection In Self Pollinated Crops

Preservation of Germplasm

Effective population size 

Type of Gene Action:

Partitioning of the total genetic variance                   

Experimental designs used to estimate genetic variances 

Intrapopualtion Improvement

Selection theory

Hardy-Weinberg law

                          Normal distribution

Components of variation      

Genetic advance

            Mass selection

Genetic gain theory

                          Gardner's Grid system

            Half-sib family selection

                          Ear-to-row selection

           Modified ear-to-row selection

                          Genetic gain theory

           Half-sib recurrent selection (or test cross)

                          Testers

                          GCA vs SCA

              S1 progeny recurrent selection

                          S2 family selection

              Full-sib family recurrent selection

                          Genetic gain theory 

Interpopulation Improvement        

Reciprocal recurrent selection

            Reciprocal recurrent selection based on test cross of half-sib families.

Reciprocal recurrent selection based on half-sib progenies of prolific plants.

Reciprocal full-sib recurrent selection 

Hybrid Development

Inbreeding

Methods of inbreeding

Inbreeding depression

Types of hybrid

Factors in comparing hybrid types

Calculating number of possible hybrids

Prediction of double and 3-way hybrid yields from single cross data.