Plant Breeding and Applied Genetics

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Plant Breeding and Applied Genetics

• Ute Achenbach
• Summer, 2008

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Course Objectives

• Comprehend and be able to discuss how breeders
  meet their breeding goals today as opposed to
  several decades ago. This requires basic
  knowledge on classical breeding methods and an
  understanding on molecular breeding.
• Examples will be provided to emphasize the
  importance of genetics in modern breeding
  practices.

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Learning outcomes

• understand the developments in plant breeding and
  the state of the art breeding practices
  (ornamentals vs. crops)
• have some knowledge on the basics of genetics
  (Mendel, QTL etc.) and understand the idea and
  the potential of genetic engineering
• have some understanding on the concepts of
  molecular breeding
• have some (practical) knowledge to apply
  molecular markers for the identification of
  traits in the genome
• be able to determine whether information from the
  internet regarding modern breeding methods are
  relevant and informative

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History and development of plant breeding (a
journey through time)

• 13th May 2008

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Selected milestones in plant breeding
9000 BC First evidence of plant domestication
in the hills above the Tigris
river 1694 Camerarius first to demonstrate sex in
(monoecious) plants and suggested crossing as a
method to obtain new plant types 1714 Mather
observed natural crossing in maize 1761-1766 Kohl
reuter demonstrated that hybrid offspring
received traits from both parents and were
intermediate in most traits, first scientific
hybrid in tobacco 1866 Mendel Experiments in
plant hybridization 1900 Mendels laws of
heredity rediscovered 1944 Avery, MacLeod,
McCarty discovered DNA is hereditary
material 1953 Watson, Crick, Wilkins proposed
a model for DNA structure 1970 Borlaug
received Nobel Prize for the Green
Revolution Berg, Cohen, and Boyer introduced the
recombinant DNA technology 1994 FlavrSavr
tomato developed as first GMO 1995 Bt-corn
developed
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DNA nucleic acid that contains all the genetic
instructions used in the development and
functioning of all known living organisms
National Human Genome Research Institute by
Darryl Leja
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• Domestication The process by which people try to
  control the reproductive rates of animals and
  plants. Without knowledge on the transmission of
  traits from parents to their offspring.
• Plant Breeding The application of genetic
  analysis to development of plant lines better
  suited for human purposes.
• Plant Breeding and Selection Methods to meet the
  food, feed, fuel, and fiber needs of the world
• Genetic Engineering to increase the effectiveness
  and efficiency of plant breeding.

Prunus persica Source Wikipedia
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Example Peach (Prunus persica)

• Originates from China
• Introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region
  along the silk route
• Trade and cultural interaction

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Breeding objectives

• Food (yield and nutritional value), feed, fibre,
  pharmaceuticals (plantibodies), landscape,
  industrial need (eg. Crops are being produced in
  regions to which they are not native).

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• Note Details among plant species vary because of
  origin, mode of reproduction, ploidy levels, and
  traits of greater importance and adjustments were
  made to adapt to specific situations.

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Conducting plant breeding

• Traditional/classical breeding crossing two
  plants (hybridization)
• genetically manipulating??
• Variability/ Selection
• Recombinant DNA technology

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Scientific disciplines and technologies of plant
breeding

• Genetics
• Botany
• Plant physiology
• Agronomy
• Pathology and entomology
• Statistics
• Biochemistry

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Classic/ traditional tools
Emasculation Hybidization Wide
crossing Selection Chromosome
counting Chromosome doubling Male
sterility Triploidy Linkage analysis Statistica
l tools
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Advanced tools
Mutagenesis Tissue culture Haploidy In situ
hybridization DNA markers
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Advanced technology
Molecular markers Marker-assisted selection DNA
sequencing Plant genomic analysis Bioinformatics M
icroarray analysis Primer design Plant
transformation
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Basic steps

• Objective
• Germplasm
• Selection
• Evaluation