INTRODUCTION TO PLANT BREEDING

AGRONOMY 815 / COURSE NOTES

P. STEPHEN BAENZIGER, 338 Keim Hall, 472-1538

DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY / UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

THE SUCCESS OF PLANT BREEDERS

Plant Breeding is a very measurable science -- its impact can be readily documented.

References:

Fehr, Chapt. 1
Briggs and Knowles, Chapt. 1
Allard, Chapt. 1
Genetic Contributions to Yield Gains of Five Major Crop Plants. 1981. W. R. Fehr (editor). CSSA Special Publication Number 7.

Some examples of yield gains:

CROP 1930 1975 UNIT %
Wheat 14.2 30.6 bu 115
Rice 21.0 45.6 cwt 117
Corn 20.4 86.2 bu 320
Oats 32.2 48.1 bu 50
Barley 24.0 44.0 bu 85
Sorghum 10.8 44.0 bu 358
Cotton 157.0 453.0 lbs 188
Sugar beets 11.9 19.3 tons 62
Peanuts 659.4 2565.0 lbs 295
Soybeans 13.4 28.4 bu 112
Potatoes 65.9 251.0 cwt 311
Tomatoes 61.0 166.0 cwt 172
Alfalfa 1.95 2.87 tons 42

Remember that these figures are based upon genetic and cultural practices/improvements.

Phenotype (P) = Genotype (G) + Environment (E) + G x E.

How can the changes due to genetics be partitioned from the changes due to improved cultural practices (environmental changes)?

A. Comparisons of new lines to historical check cultivars in regional nurseries.

B. Designed experiments that include historical checks and cultural practices and compare to newer lines and newer cultural practices.

Both cases have some undesirable confounding.