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"Plant Breeding and Its Impact on Crop improvement"

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 “Plant Breeding and
Its Impact on Crop improvement”
Introduction:

Plant breeding is the continuous endeavor to breeding is to improve the quality, diversity, and
develop superior plant phenotypes that are better performance of food, fiber, forage, industrial, and
adapted to human needs by utilizing the available other economically important crops. Crop breeding
genetic variation. It has been practiced for is a rapidly advancing science and has made use of
thousands of years ever since the beginning of recent genetic and biotechnological innovations to
human civilization, initially as an art by the farmers efficiently develop better crop varieties.
and later as a science by breeders. The aim of plant

Modern History of Plant Breeding:

• 1953: Watson, Crick, and Wilkins • 1970: Patel, C.T: Developed world’s first
proposed a model for Double Helical cotton hybrid for commercial cultivation in
Structure of DNA. India.
• 1956: Flor: gene for gene hypothesis for • 1970: Borlaug received Nobel Prize for the
host-parasite resistance. Green Revolution
• 1964: Borlaug, N.E: Developed high • 1970: Berg, Cohen, and Boyer introduced
yielding semi dwarf varieties of wheat the Recombinant DNA technology.
which resulted in green revolution. • 1976: Yuan Long Ping et al: Developed
• 1965: Graphius, J.E: First applied Single world’s first rice hybrid (CMS based) for
Seed Descent (SSD) method in oats. commercial cultivation in China.
• 1968: Donald: Developed the concept of • 1983: Fraley et al.: Development of first
crop ideotype in wheat. transgenic (Genetically engineered) plant
tobacco in USA.

Goal & Objectives of Plant Breeding:

1. Higher yield: The ultimate aim of plant in wheat. Cooking quality in rice, malting
breeding is to improve the yield of “economic quality in barley, color and size of fruits,
produce on economic part”. It may be grain nutritive and keeping quality in vegetables,
yield, fodder yield, fibre yield, tuber yield, cane protein content in pulses, oil content in
yield or oil yield depending upon the crop oilseeds, fiber length, strength and fineness in
species. Improvement in yield can be achieved cotton.
either by evolving high yielding varieties or 3. Abiotic resistance: Crop plants also suffer
hybrids. from abiotic factors such as drought, soil
2. Improved quality: Quality of produce is salinity, extreme temperatures, heat, wind, cold
another important objective in plant breeding. and frost, breeder has to develop resistant
The quality characters vary from crop to crop. varieties for such environmental conditions.
Eg. grain size, color, milling and baking quality
4. Biotic resistance: Crop plants are attacked by 9. Elimination of Toxic Substances: It is
various diseases and insects, resulting in essential to develop varieties free from toxic
considerable yield losses. Genetic resistance is compounds in some crops to make them safe
the cheapest and the best method of minimizing for human consumption. For example, removal
such losses. Resistant varieties are developed of neurotoxin in Khesari – lentil (Lathyruys
through the use of resistant donor parents sativus) which leads to paralysis of lower
available in the gene pool. limbs, erucic acid from Brassica which is
5. Change in maturity Duration / Earliness: harmful for human health, and gossypol from
Earliness is the most desirable character which the seed of cotton is necessary to make them fit
has several advantages. It requires less crop for human consumption. Removal of such toxic
management period, less insecticidal sprays, substances would increase the nutritional value
permits new crop rotations and often extends of these crops.
the crop area. Development of wheat varieties 10. Non-shattering characteristics: The
suitable for late planting has permitted rice- shattering of pods is serious problem in green
wheat rotation. Thus, breeding for early gram. Hence resistance to shattering is an
maturing crop varieties, or varieties suitable for important objective in green gram.
different dates of planting may be an important 11. Synchronous Maturity: It refers to maturity of
objective. Maturity has been reduced from 270 a crop species at one time. The character is
days to 170 days in cotton, from 270 days to highly desirable in crops like greengram,
120 days in pigeonpea, from 360 days to 270 cowpea, castor and cotton where several
days in sugarcane. pickings are required for crop harvest.
6. Determinate Growth: Development of 12. Photo and Thermo insensitivity:
varieties with determinate growth is desirable Development of varieties insensitive to light
in crops like mung, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), and temperature helps in crossing the
cotton (Gossypium sp.), etc. cultivation boundaries of crop plants. Photo
7. Dormancy: In some crops, seeds germinate and thermo-insensitive varieties of wheat and
even before harvesting in the standing crop if rice has permitted their cultivation in new
there are rains at the time of maturity, e.g., areas.
greengram, blackgram, Barley and Pea, etc. A 13. Wider adaptability: Adaptability refers to
period of dormancy has to be introduced in suitability of a variety for general cultivation
these crops to check loss due to germination. In over a wide range of environmental conditions.
some other cases, however, it may be desirable Adaptability is an important objective in plant
to remove dormancy. breeding because it helps in stabilizing the crop
8. Desirable Agronomic Characteristics: It production over regions and seasons.
includes plant height, branching, tillering 14. Varieties for New Seasons: Traditionally
capacity, growth habit, erect or trailing habit maize is a kharif crop. But scientists are now
etc., is often desirable. For example, dwarfness able to grow maize as rabi and zaid crops.
in cereals is generally associated with lodging Similarly, mung is grown as a summer crop in
resistance and better fertilizer response. addition to the main kharif crop
Tallness, high tillering and profuse branching
are desirable characters in fodder crops.
Plant Breeding Methods:
Various approaches are used for genetic improvement of crop plants are referred to as plant breeding methods.
Choice of breeding methods mainly depends on
i. Mode of pollination
ii. Mode of reproduction
iii. Gene action
iv. Breeding objectives of crop

➢ In self-pollinated species, the following breeding methods are used:

1. Plant Introduction 7. Heterosis breeding
2. Pure line selection 8. Mutation breeding
3. Mass selection 9. Polyploidy breeding
4. Pedigree method 10. Transgenic breeding
5. Bulk Breeding method 11. Molecular breeding etc
6. Single Seed Descent

➢ In cross pollinated crops, following breeding methods are used:

1. Plant introduction 6. Backcross method
2. Mass and Progeny selection 7. Polyploidy breeding
3. Heterosis breeding 8. Transgenic breeding
4. Synthetic breeding 9. Molecular breeding
5. Composite breeding

➢ In asexually propagated species, following breeding methods are used:

1. Plant introduction 5. Polyploidy breeding
2. Clonal selection 6. Backcross method
3. Heterosis breeding 7. Distant hybridization
4. Mutation breeding 8. Transgenic breeding

Modern Tools of Plant Breeding

a) Mutation breeding:
Mutation is a sudden heritable change in a desirable traits to be bred with other cultivars.
characteristic of an organism and utilization of Plants created using mutagenesis are
variation created by mutation in crop sometimes called mutagenic plants or
improvements is known as mutation breeding. mutagenic seeds.
Agents used for induction of mutation known b) Polyploidy:
as mutagens. It may be physical or chemical An individual with more than two sets of
mutagens. Mutation breeding, sometimes homologous chromosome or genome known as
referred to as "variation breeding", is the polyploidy. Changes in chromosome number
process of exposing seeds to chemicals or may involve loss or gain of one of few
radiation in order to generate mutants with chromosomes or the whole genome. Polyploidy
may be induced spontaneously or can be
induced artificially by using chemicals.
c) Plant Biotechnology: not efficient. In that situation these methods
Utilization of biological agents or their have been supplemented by in vitro techniques/
components for the welfare of mankind is tissue culture to increase the efficiency of crop.
known as biotechnology. Plant biotechnology e) Genetic engineering:
is related to such activities other than Isolation of the desired from an organize, its
conventional approaches. It aims at improving integration into a suitable vector and its
the genetic make-up, phenotypic performance introduction into another organism (host) with
and multiplication of economical plants. a view to obtain multiple copies (Replica) of
d) In Vitro Techniques: the desire gene. The gene may remain in vector
It is the cultivation of plant organs, tissue or cell or may got integrated into the chromosome of
in test tube on artificial media. In certain the host later it produces transgenic plant.
situation conventional breeding methods are

Impact of Plant Breeding on Crop improvement

The aim of plant breeding is the and select the suitable breeding
production of improved or new program to create variation.
cultivar based on our Production of high yielding
requirement or objective. The varieties, different resistant
aim is to combine the parental varieties and verities with high
plants to get the offspring with quality attributes is very
best characteristics. The role of important for fight against the
breeder in agriculture is to select upcoming challenges. World
the parent with great population is increasing day by
potentialities based on their day and breeding of new verities
performance data, pedigree is essential for ensuring food
records and genetic information security.

Plant Breeding for Disease Resistance

The basic objective of breeding for disease

resistance is to develop inherent quality in the
plant to prevent the pathogen from causing the
disease. Crops are required to be disease,
resistant, as a wide range of fungal, bacterial and
viral pathogens that affect the yield of cultivated
crop species, especially in tropical climates.
Resistance of the host plant is the ability to
prevent the pathogen from causing disease and is
determined by the genetic constitution of host
plant
Plant Breeding for Developing a Resistance to Insect Pest

Resistance can be developed by following ways

• Development of morphological characters

like hairy leaves in cotton and wheat
develop vector resistance from jassids
beetle.

• Solid stem in wheat lead to resistance from

stem borers.

• Biochemical characters provide resistance

to insects and pests. For example, the high
aspartic acid and low nitrogen and sugar
content in maize leads to resistance to
maize stem borers.

• Smooth leaves and nectarless cotton develop resistance from bollworms.

Plant Breeding for Increase Yield:

With an increasing population, the production of

food needs to increase with it. It is estimated that a
70% increase in food production is needed by 2050
in order to meet the Declaration of the World Summit
on Food Security. But with the degradation of
agricultural land, simply planting more crops is no
longer a viable option. New varieties of plants can in
some cases be developed through plant breeding that
generate an increase of yield without relying on an
increase in land area. An example of this can be seen
in Asia, where food production per capita has
increased twofold. This has been achieved through
not only the use of fertilizers, but through the use of Major Crop production of Bangladesh
better crops that have been specifically designed for
the area.
Plant Breeding for Improved Food Quality

Biofortification is a method in which crops are bred Some examples of biofortification-

for higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and fats.
• Fortified Maize having twice the amount of
Due to this problem of malnutrition can be
amino acids lysine and tryptophan
overcome. Following objectives were considered
• Atlas 66 wheat has a high protein content
for the breeding program-
• Iron-fortified rice having 5 times more iron
• Protein content and quality • Vegetable crops like carrot and spinach
• Oil content and quality have more vitamins and minerals.
• Vitamin C enriched bitter gourd.
• Vitamin content

• Micronutrient content and quality

Enhancement of compositional traits:

Breeding for plant compositional traits to enhance of these traits. Genetic engineering technology has
nutritional quality or to meet an industrial need are been used to produce high oleic sunflower for
major plant breeding goals. High protein crop industrial use, while it is also being used to enhance
varieties (e.g., high lysine or quality protein maize) the nutritional value of crops (e.g., pro-vitamin A
have been produced for use in various parts of the “Golden Rice”). The shelf-life of fruits (e.g.,
world. For example, different kinds of wheat are tomato) has been extended through the use of
needed for different kinds of products (e.g., bread, genetic engineering techniques to reduce the
pasta, cookies, semolina). Breeders have identified expression of compounds associated with fruit
the quality traits associated with these uses and deterioration.
have produced cultivars with enhanced expression

Crop adaptation:

Crop plants are being produced in regions to which two crops one season. Furthermore, early maturing
they are not native, because breeders have cultivars can be used to produce a full season crop
developed cultivars with modified physiology to in areas where adverse conditions are prevalent
cope with variations, for example, in the duration towards the end of the normal growing season.
of day length (photoperiod). Photoperiod- Soils formed under arid conditions tend to
insensitive cultivars will flower and produce seed accumulate large amounts of salts. In order to use
under any day length conditions. The duration of these lands for crop production, salt-tolerant (saline
the growing period varies from one region of the and aluminum tolerance) crop cultivars have been
world to another. Early maturing cultivars of crop developed for certain species. In crops such as
plants enable growers to produce a crop during a barley and tomato, there are commercial cultivars
short window of opportunity, or even to produce in use, with drought, cold, and frost tolerance.
Conclusion:

Food is the most basic of human needs. Plants are world food supplies to meet the projected needs. As
the primary producers in the ecosystem, a the world population increases, there would be a
community of living organisms including all the need for an agricultural production system that is
non-living factors in the environment. Without apace with population growth. Unfortunately,
them, life on earth for higher organisms would be arable land is in short supply, stemming from new
impossible. Most of the crops that feed the world lands that have been brought into cultivation in the
are cereals. Plant breeding is needed to enhance the past, or surrendered to urban development.
value of food crops, by improving their yield and Consequently, more food will have to be produced
the nutritional quality of their products, for healthy on less land. This calls for improved and high-
living of humans. Certain plant foods are deficient yielding varieties to be developed by plant
in certain essential nutrients to the extent that breeders. With the aid of plant breeding, the yields
where these foods constitute the bulk of a staple of major crops have dramatically changed over the
diet, diseases associated with nutritional deficiency years. Another major concern is the fact that most
are often common. In spite of a doubling of the of the population growth will occur in developing
world population in the last three decades, countries where food needs are currently most
agricultural production rose at an adequate rate to serious, and where resources for feeding people are
meet world food needs. However, an additional 3 already most severely strained, because of natural
billion people will be added to the world population or human-made disasters, or ineffective political
in the next three decades, requiring an expansion in systems.
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