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| History and Role of Plant Breeding | Purpose and expected outcomes Agriculture is the deliberate planting and harvesting of plants and herding animals. This human invention has, and continues to, impact on society and the environment. Plant breeding is a branch of agriculture that focuses on manipulating plant heredity to develop new and improved plant types for use by society. People in society are aware and appreciative of the enormous diversity in plants and plant products. They have preferences for certain varieties of flowers and food crops. They are aware that whereas some of this variation is natural, humans with special expertise (plant breeders) create some of it. Generally, also, there is a perception that such creations derive from crossing different plants. The tools and methods used by plant breeders have been developed and advanced through the years. There are milestones in plant breeding technology as well as accomplishments by plant breeders over the years. This introductory chapter is devoted to presenting a brief overview of plant breeding, including a brief history of its development, how it is done, and its benefits to society. After completing this chapter, the student should have a general understanding of:
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| Plant Genetic Resources | Purpose and expected outcomes As previously indicated, plant breeders depend on variability for crop improvement. Plant genetic resources (plant germplasm) used in plant breeding are natural resources that are susceptible to erosion from use and abuse. It is important that they be collected, properly used, managed, and conserved to avoid irreparable loss of precious genetic material. After completing this chapter, the student should be able to:
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Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) for Requesting Plant Materials from Genetics Resource Center |
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| Quantitative Genetics | Purpose and expected outcomes Most of the traits that plant breeders are interested in are quantitatively inherited. It is important to understand the genetics that underlie the behavior of these traits in order to develop effective approaches for manipulating them. After studying this chapter, the student should be able to:
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| Breeding Self-Pollinated Species | . |
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| Breeding Cross-Pollinated Species | Purpose and expected outcomes As previously noted, breeding cross-pollinated species tends to focus on population improvement rather than the improvement of individual plants as is the focus in breeding self-pollinated species. In addition to methods such as mass selection that are applicable to both self- and cross-pollinated species, there are specific methods that are suited to population improvement. Some methods are used less frequently in breeding. Further, certain methods are more effective and readily applied for breeding certain species than others. After studying this chapter, the student should be able to:
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Purpose and expected outcomes As previously noted, breeding cross-pollinated species tends to focus on population improvement rather than the improvement of individual plants as is the focus in breeding self-pollinated species. In addition to methods such as mass selection that are applicable to both self- and cross-pollinated species, there are specific methods that are suited to population improvement. Some methods are used less frequently in breeding. Further, certain methods are more effective and readily applied for breeding certain species than others. After studying this chapter, the student should be able to:
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| Biotechnology in Plant Breeding | . |
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| Recorded Lectures | ||
