Question

Briefly describe various steps involved in plant breeding.

Answer 1

Plant breeding is the process of developing new and improved crop varieties by crossing two genetically different plants to combine desirable traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and better adaptability. The main steps involved are:

1. Collection of Genetic Variability: Genetic diversity is collected from wild and cultivated species to form a germplasm collection, which serves as a source of useful traits.
2. Evaluation and Selection of Parents: The collected germplasm is evaluated for desirable traits such as disease resistance or high yield. The best plants are selected as parents for hybridisation.
3. Cross-Hybridisation of Selected Parents: The selected parents are crossed to combine their desirable characters, producing hybrid seeds that may show improved qualities.
4. Selection of Superior Hybrids: Among the resulting hybrids, the best-performing plants showing desired traits are selected and self-pollinated for several generations to achieve uniformity.
5. Testing, Release, and Commercialisation: The selected hybrids are tested in research fields for yield, resistance, and adaptability. After successful trials, they are released to farmers for large-scale cultivation.