Question

Arrange the following in the correct sequence of steps in breeding a new genetic variety of a crop.

• A. Release cultivar
• B. Hybridisation
• C. Gather variables
• D. Testing
• E. Select parents

Answer 1

The steps involved in breeding a new variety are:

1. Collection of variability: it involves the collection of variability i.e. genetic resources like plants, tissue or seeds for all possible alleles for all genes in a given crop, wild relatives of plant species, related cultivated varieties, etc. All this together makes the germplasm for a crop.
2. Selection of parents: the germplasm is screened to identify plants with most desirable characteristics.
3. Cross hybridisation of the selected parents: the plants with desirable characteristics are hybridised to produce high yielding progeny.
4. Selection and testing of superior recombinants: the progeny are tested to identify plants which are superior to the parent plants. These plants are then self-pollinated.
5. Release and commercialisation of new cultivars: the newly selected lines are grown in research fields and farmers' fields under various physiochemical conditions for atleast three growing seasons at all agroclimatic zones where the crop is cultivated.