Course Code : ABF314

Course Title: Plant Breeding and Genetics

Weekly lecture and application hours of the course: 2 -2

Course Description:This course builds on the course ABF107 Genetics. Major topics to be discussed are the genetic basis of crop plant evolution,crop plant reproduction germplasm introduction, the genetics of hybridisation, pure line breeding, the pedigree method, single seed descent,back crossing, multiline varieties, and mass populations. Producing hybrids through incompatibility, male sterility and the sex mechanism.Synthetic varieties. Recurrent selection for one or two populations. Artificial polyploidization. Mutation breeding. Genetic engineering applicationsin plant breeding. Haploid breeding wide crosses. Heterosis. Variety maintenance and multiplication. Selection of quantitative traits. The courseincludes lectures and exercises on breeding, molecular genetics and bioinformatics with the use of computers.

Textbooks and supplementary books:

  1. Plant Genes, Genomes and Genetics 1st Edition by  Erich Grotewold  (Author),  Joseph Chappell  (Author), Elizabeth A. Kellogg (Author)

Course Evaluation:

  • Class Participation 10%,

  • Mid-term Examination 30%,

  • Assignments 10%,

  • Final Examination 50%,

Attendance 95%compulsory