Crop Genetics And Breeding
- Agricultural Sciences
- 300 level
- 2 credit units
- 104 pages
- 15 units
This course introduces students to the principles of crop genetics and breeding. It covers essential topics such as plant cell structure, cell division, and the laws of inheritance. Students will learn about qualitative and quantitative traits, heritability, and selection responses. The course also explores methods of sexual reproduction in crop plants, breeding procedures for self and cross-pollinated crops, and seed production and distribution.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 208 hours
- Maths
- Intermediate
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of CRP305, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
CRP305 · Unit 1:
The primary purpose of crop breeding is to develop crop varieties that are high yielding for the use of mankind either as food, feed (for his animals), fibre to produce clothes to wear and wood to prepare houses to live in and also satisfy the nutritional requirements.
What you should be able to do
- Explain the principles of crop breeding and genetics
- Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative traits
- Calculate heritability and predict selection responses
- Describe methods of sexual reproduction in crop plants
- Apply breeding procedures for self and cross-pollinated crops
- Understand seed production and distribution processes
What it prepares you for
- Plant Breeder
- Agronomist
- Seed Technologist
- Crop Production Manager
- Agriculture
- Seed Industry
- Research Institutions
- Government Agencies
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 1:
Unit 4: Mendel's Experiment, Law of Inheritance and use of Chi-square Calculations
Understanding the application of Chi-square calculations requires a solid foundation in statistical analysis and probability.
- Module 2:
Unit 2: Heritability
Requires understanding of statistical concepts and experimental design to accurately estimate and interpret heritability values.
- Module 5: Breeding Methodologies for Cross Pollinated Crops
Unit 2: Recurrent Selection
Understanding the different types of recurrent selection and their appropriate application requires a deep understanding of population genetics and breeding strategies.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 44 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1:
Unit 1: What is Crop Breeding? Purpose of Breeding and Biological Variation · 2 hours
Define crop breeding and its purpose. Explain biological variations in plants. Understand the relationship between genotype, environment, and phenotype.
Unit 2: Introduction of Plant Cell, Cell Division (mitosis), Gametogenesis (meiosis) and Fertilization in Plant · 2 hours
Draw and label a plant cell. Explain mitosis and meiosis. Describe gametogenesis and fertilization.
- Week 2Module 1:
Unit 3: Gene, Symbols and Terminology · 2 hours
Understand the characteristics of genes. Learn the alphabet symbols used for genes. Familiarize yourself with genetic terminologies.
Unit 4: Mendel's Experiment, Law of Inheritance and use of Chi-square Calculations · 2 hours
Explain Mendel's experiment. Understand the principles of segregation and independent assortment. Solve monohybrid crosses.
- Week 3Module 2:
Unit 1: Qualitative Vs Quantitative Traits · 2 hours
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative traits. Give practical examples of each type of trait.
Unit 2: Heritability · 2 hours
Explain the types of heritability. Describe what heritability values depend on. Calculate heritability.
- Week 4Module 2:
Unit 3: Selection Responses · 3 hours
Explain the importance of heritable variation in selection. Calculate genetic advance. Identify ways to improve genetic advance.
- Week 5Module 3: Methods of Sexual Reproduction in Crop Plants
Unit 1: Reproduction in Crop Plants · 2 hours
Differentiate between kinds of flowers. Explain different modes of reproduction. Describe the types of variety to produce based on reproduction mode.
Unit 2: Self Incompatibility and Male Sterility · 2 hours
Explain factors that encourage self-incompatibility. Explain male sterility.
- Week 6Module 3: Methods of Sexual Reproduction in Crop Plants
Unit 3: Steps for Controlled Crosses and Sourcing for Breeding Materials · 3 hours
Describe steps involved in making controlled crosses. Outline steps to take in sourcing breeding materials.
- Week 7Module 4: Methods of Breeding Self Pollinated Crops
Unit 1: Pure-line Selection · 3 hours
Explain how to improve self-pollinating crops using pure-line selection.
- Week 8Module 4: Methods of Breeding Self Pollinated Crops
Unit 2: Mass Selection · 3 hours
Describe the process of mass selection and its usefulness.
- Week 9Module 4: Methods of Breeding Self Pollinated Crops
Unit 3: Hybridization · 3 hours
Explain what hybridization is supposed to do. Describe the breeding methods to use in self-pollinating crops from a segregating population after hybridization.
- Week 10Module 5: Breeding Methodologies for Cross Pollinated Crops
Unit 1: Mass Selection in Cross Pollinated Crops · 3 hours
Explain that cross and self-pollinated crops respond similarly to mass selection. Describe how to improve cross-pollinated crops using mass selection.
- Week 11Module 5: Breeding Methodologies for Cross Pollinated Crops
Unit 2: Recurrent Selection · 3 hours
Describe the steps involved in using recurrent selection to improve quantitative traits.
- Week 12Module 5: Breeding Methodologies for Cross Pollinated Crops
Unit 3: Hybrid Varieties Development (in Maize) · 3 hours
Differentiate between hybrid vigour and inbreeding. Describe how to develop types of hybrid maize.
- Week 13Module 5: Breeding Methodologies for Cross Pollinated Crops
Unit 4: Synthetic Varieties (in Maize) · 2 hours
Describe how to develop a synthetic variety. Indicate the differences between hybrid and synthetic varieties.
Unit 5: Seed Production and Distribution · 2 hours
Understand that the seed production program is to supply good quality seeds of high yielding varieties to farmers. Realize that there are four different classes of seed.
Preparing for the exam
- Review Mendel's laws and practice solving genetics problems from Unit 4
- Focus on understanding the formulas for heritability and genetic advance in Module 2
- Create diagrams to illustrate the different breeding methods for self and cross-pollinated crops (Modules 4 and 5)
- Study the flower structures and reproductive mechanisms covered in Module 3
- Practice applying Chi-square tests to determine goodness of fit for observed data
Questions students ask about this course
What is CRP305 about?
This course introduces students to the principles of crop genetics and breeding. It covers essential topics such as plant cell structure, cell division, and the laws of inheritance. Students will learn about qualitative and quantitative traits, heritability, and selection responses. The course also explores methods of sexual reproduction in crop plants, breeding procedures for self and cross-pollinated crops, and seed production and distribution.
How many units does CRP305 have?
CRP305, Crop Genetics And Breeding, has 15 units across 4 modules, over 104 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is CRP305?
CRP305 carries 2 credit units, at 300 level in Agricultural Sciences.
Is CRP305 hard?
CRP305 is rated intermediate level, with intermediate mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does CRP305 take to study?
About 208 hours of study, spread across its 15 units.
How is CRP305 assessed?
CRP305 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What can I do with CRP305?
Plant Breeder, Agronomist, Seed Technologist and Crop Production Manager.