Question

Explain mass selection.

Answer 1

1. Mass selection is the simplest and oldest method of crop improvement.
2. It involves selecting plants, heads, or seeds with superior phenotypic traits from a population.
3. The selected produce is harvested and bulked to grow the next generation.
4. This process is repeated until desired improvement is achieved.
5. It is based entirely on visible, phenotypic characters.
6. Mass selection works best in crops with genetic variability (heterozygosity), mainly cross-pollinated crops.
7. It is useful for farmers without detailed genetic knowledge to improve crops gradually.