Course Not Offered – Cross-Pollinated Crop Breeding

Instructor(s): Dr. Blaine Johnson

Number of Credit Hours: 1

Number of CEUs for Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs): 8 CEUs in Crop Management; 1 CEU in Soil & Water, and 1 CEU in Pest Management

Description: This course focuses on the standard breeding methods and theories associated with population improvement of cross-pollinated crops (e.g., corn, alfalfa, sunflowers, and forage grasses) and self-pollinated crops that are forced to cross-pollinate. Students learn about creating populations, recurrent selection methods (with and without progeny tests), hybrid production practices, and population improvement theory. Topics discussed include the common breeding methods used in improving cross-pollinated crops and the theoretical basis for cross-pollinated crop breeding.

Prerequisites: Admission to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Successful completion of AGRO 215.

Course Requirements & Materials:

• Technical Requirements: Access to high-speed Internet and email with up-to-date browsers and the ability to view videos (recommended browsers are Firefox, Chrome, and Safari)
• Textbooks: No textbooks required. Plant Breeding: Principles and Practices (course notes by P. Stephen Baenziger) and "Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding" by George Acquaah (reference text) are both recommended. The course notes can be downloaded from Canvas, and the reference text can be purchased from the UNL Bookstore or Amazon.com. All course materials are online in Canvas.

This Course is Ideal For…

• Graduate students preparing for more intensive/specialized study
• Seed and/or food industry personnel
• Certified professional agronomists, crop consultants, and crop advisers
• Science and agriculture/vocational education teachers
• Extension educators, agents, and specialists
• Producers