Breeding for Quality

Note 1: This course is offered online and it takes about 20 hours to complete the weekly task. There are assignments with deadlines and non-synchronous interaction with teachers and fellow students. An online exam is offered at the end of the course.
Note 2: This is an online course, part of the online master's Plant Breeding, but it can also be followed by on-campus students.
Note 3: Because of overlap it is not possible to combine this course with PBR30306 Breeding for Stress Tolerance and Quality in your study programme.

Traditionally, producer traits such as yield and disease resistance have been the primary breeding targets in many crops. In current agriculture, however, consumer-driven quality traits, such as flavour, colour and nutritional value have become increasingly important and the same holds for the production of specific plant compounds which can be used as sources for bio-based applications. Breeding for Quality is directed at improving whole fruit/vegetable characteristics and plant compounds, where flavour, colour, texture, absence of antinutritional factors or allergens, and shelf-life are important breeding objectives. Breeding for Quality also comprises the efficient production of all kinds of compounds, which are used as ingredients by the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, textile, paper, etc. industries. Examples of such compounds are: carbohydrates (starch, fructans, cellulose), proteins (wheat gluten, pea storage proteins), vegetable fats/oils (rape seed oil, cocoa fat), and secondary metabolites like flavours, fragrances, and phytoestrogenic molecules. In breeding programs, the existing genetic variation is exploited to increase the yield of (or enrich mixtures in) the target compounds. For this, it is necessary to understand the metabolic routes leading to the synthesis of the desired compound, and to have knowledge on how these compounds can be determined in the plant material.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Explain the major characteristics of consumer quality traits
• Explain the concept of bio-based plant production and discuss economic and societal impact
• Define appropriate selection strategies for specific target traits
• Apply relevant analytic screening techniques for trait evaluation
• Use this knowledge to develop breeding strategies for improved quality

Assumed Knowledge:

Genetics, principles of plant breeding, molecular markers, mapping populations.
The exam takes place using Remote Proctoring, which is different than digital examinations on-campus. Students unfamiliar with this system should carefully test it beforehand by following all directions given via the Student Support "screen steps" instructions (https://wur-studentsupport.screenstepslive.com/m/106158/c/365541)