Crop breeding is the art and science of changing and improving plants genetically. The art of breeding lies in the ability of the crop or plant breeder to observe plant differences which may have economic value, including yield and number of pods per plant, to mention a few.
The scientific aspect of crop breeding is based on Gregor Mendel’s laws of heredity, where the expected outcome of crosses could be predicted. The primary purposes of crop breeding are as follows:
To obtain or develop varieties that are:
1. Efficient in their use of plant nutrients.
2. Give the greatest return of products per hectare or unit area.
3. Improve nutritional quality (vitamins, minerals) of crop.
4. Adapted to the needs of the growers and consumers.
5. Able to withstand conditions of cold, heat, drought or flooding.
6. Resistant or tolerant to pests and diseases.
Read Also: Chiggers: Description, Damages Caused, Control and Preventive Measures
Biological Variation and Its Role in Crop Breeding
1. Understanding Biological Variations in Plant Traits
In the introduction, it was stated that the art of breeding lies in the ability of the plant breeder to observe plant differences.
In this article, plant differences are referred to as biological variations in plant traits like yield, height and pods per plant, etc. It is these variations that plant breeders manipulate to develop new varieties of crops.
2. What Causes Biological Variation in Crops?
1. Genetics: This is the genetic constitution of an individual plant. It is what is passed on from parent to offspring from generation to generation.
2. Environment: The environment is where the plant is planted. In that environment, there may be availability or lack of water, nutrients, insects, diseases and sunshine.
These (water, nutrients, insects, diseases and sunshine) constitute the environment of the plant. These environmental factors may modify the inherited characteristics.
3. Interaction between genetics and environment: Differences seen in plants are a function of genetics, environment and interaction between genetics and environment.
3. Equation Representing Plant Phenotype
The outlook of the plant can be represented as:
VP = VG + VE + VGE
Where:
V = Variance or Variation
P = Phenotype (How the plant looks)
G = Genotype (Genetic constitution of the plant)
E = Environment (Where the plant is planted)
Read Also: Scrapie in Sheep and Goats: Description, Damages Caused, Control and Preventive Measures
Crossing in Crop Breeding and Its Importance
Crossing is the transferring of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same plant or another plant by man or by nature (wind or insects). Crossing is a phenomenon where plant breeders create variation in plants. That is, breeders cross to create variability in crops.
The primary purpose of crop breeding is to develop crop varieties that are high yielding for the use of mankind either as food, feed (for animals), fibre to produce clothes to wear, and wood to prepare houses to live in, and also satisfy the nutritional requirements.
Do you have any questions, suggestions, or contributions? If so, please feel free to use the comment box below to share your thoughts. We also encourage you to kindly share this information with others who might benefit from it. Since we can’t reach everyone at once, we truly appreciate your help in spreading the word. Thank you so much for your support and for sharing!
Frequently Asked Questions
We will update this section soon.