Plant Breeding

This course introduces students to key principles of plant breeding. Plant breeding is the science-driven creative process of changing the traits of plants in order to develop new plant varieties. Several essential approaches and tools used in the process are discussed: different modes of reproduction, selection methods, including molecular selection methods, the production of hybrid cultivars, mutation breeding and polyploidy. The course includes practical training on marker and primer development and molecular cloning. These are important tools for plant breeding research. The course further involves obtaining and handling of data, and a sniff on statistical analysis. Some insight is given in legislative aspects of Plant Breeder's Rights and patents.

• Explain basic concepts and principles in plant breeding

• Analyse genetic segregations and linkages

• Summarise the advantages and limitations of plant breeding selection programmes, taking into account the crop of interest, its reproductive mode, the trait of interest, and feasibility of genomic, genotypic and phenotypic tools

• Explain how changes at the ploidy level and structural chromosomal changes can influence crop evolution

• Understand and apply basic techniques in molecular biology, such as DNA, RNA and protein isolation, (RT)-PCR, restriction enzyme digestions, agarose gel electrophoresis, cloning

• Use practical skills in plant breeding, such as quantitative data analysis and lab skills

• Explain the concepts of genetic markers and how they are applied in plant breeding

• Explain and discuss the principles of breeders' rights and patents

• ? (100%) Written exam with open and closed questions and calculations.
• ? (%) Presence is mandatory for lab practical, field (material) practical and the preparation session (LabBuddy) for the field (material) practical, and the assignment session on intellectual property rights

ZSS06100 Laboratory Safety, ZSS06200 Fieldwork Safety Mendelian genetics as taught in GEN11806, textbook Griffiths [et al.], An Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 12th ed.: Chapters 1, 2, 3 (single gene inheritance, Mendel's laws), 4 (mapping by recombination), 6 (digenic segregation patterns), and 19 (inheritance of complex traits, heritability).

• All information will be made available in the learning environment, so an extra study book is not necessary. For background information we recommend the books: Bernardo (2014) Essentials of Plant Breeding, ISBN 9780972072427; or Acquaah (2020) Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding, 3nd ed., ISBN 9781119626329.