Plan t B ree ding

HORT IC ULTUR E 407

Spring 2015

LECTURE:
Tue and Thu 10:10-11:00 am (118 Ag Sci & Ind Bldg/ASI)
(Note: Tue January 27, March 17 and April 28 class meets in 110 ASI)
LABORATORY/DISCUSSION:
Tue 2:30-4:25 pm (206 Ag Engineering/AE)
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Majid R. Foolad; Office hours: Tue/Thu 11:00 am-12:00 pm, or by appointment; 107 HH#1, 865-5408,
mrf5@psu.edu
TEACHING ASSISTANTS:
Matthew Sullenberger; Office hours: M/W 9:00-10:00 am, or by appointment; 316 Tyson, 717-572-0410;
mts5244@psu.edu
Erik Ohlson; Office hours: W/F 1:00-2:00 pm, or by appointment; 316 Tyson, 814-863-1968;
ewo5038@psu.edu
TEXTBOOK:
Manual of Plant Genetics and Breeding. Majid R. FOOLAD (2005-Present).
Individual chapters will be placed on ANGEL throughout the semester.
REFERENCE BOOKS (In-reserve in Pattee Library, or check out from Dr. Foolads office):
An Introduction to Plant Breeding. J. BROWN and P. Caligari (2008). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding. G. Acquaah (2007). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Principles of Plant Breeding (Second Edition). R. W. ALLARD (1999). John Wiley & Sons.
Principles of Cultivar Development; Vol. 1: Theory and Technique. Walter R. FEHR (1993). Macmillan
Publishing Co.
Plant Breeding - Theory & Practice. N. C. STOSKOPF, D. T. TOMES, B. R. CHRISTIE (1993). Westview Press.
Breeding Vegetable Crops. M. J. BASSETT (1986). AVI Pub. Co.
Breeding Vegetable Crops. M. J. BASSETT (1986). AVI Pub. Co.
OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
1. To develop an understanding of the role of genetics in plant breeding.
2. To elucidate the diversity of plant characteristics which are subject to improvement.
3. To review conventional and contemporary techniques for the development of new cultivars.
4. To present the opportunity for the student to effectively communicate scientific information in writing and
through speaking.
LECTURE/LAB-DISCUSSION SCHEDULE:
#

DATE

TOPIC

1. Jan.

13 (T; am)

Introduction to the course

2.

13 (T; pm)

What is Plant Breeding?

3.

15 (R; am)

Review of Mitosis and Meiosis

Plan t B ree ding

HORT IC ULTUR E 407
Spring 2015

DATE

TOPIC

4.

20 (T; am)

Plant Reproduction (Macro-reproduction)

5.

20 (T; pm)

Plant Reproduction (Micro-reproduction)

Mendelian Genetics

6.

22 (R; am)

Mendelian Genetics, Linkage and Recombination

7.

27 (T; am)

Linkage & Recombination

8.

27 (T; pm)

2 Analysis of Linkage
Begin Fast Plant Experiments (Di-hybrid Analysis)

9.

29 (R; am)

Genetic Variation in Plants I (Germplasm Resources-Video)

10. Feb.

3 (T; am)

Genetic Variation in Plants II (Sources of Genetic Variation)

11.

3 (T; pm)

Genetic Variation in Plants III (Changes in Chromosome Number and Structure)

Check Fast Plants for parents/F1 comparison

12.

5 (R; am)

Genetic Variation in Plants IV (Changes in Chromosome Number and Structure)

13.

10 (T; am)

Qualitative Traits

14.

10 (T; pm)

Segregation and Linkage in Tomato F2 Population

Pollination of fast plants

15.

12 (R; am)

Quantitative Traits

16.

17 (T; am)

Review for exam 1

17.

17 (T; pm)

Exam 1

18.

19 (R; am)

Statistical Applications

19.

24 (T; am)

Review of Exam 1
Statistical Applications (continue..)

20.

24 (T; pm)

Components of Phenotypic Variance

Check fast plants for seed set/remove unopened buds

21.
22. Mar.

26 (R; am)
3 (T; am)

Heritability
Breeding Self-fertilized Crops Theory
(Genetic Consequences of Inbreeding)

23.

3 (T; pm)

Flower Pollination Techniques (each student will make self- and cross-pollination)

24.

5 (R; am)

Mass and Pure Line Breeding Methods

10 (T)

Spring Break

12 (R)

Spring Break

25.

17 (T; am)

Pedigree Breeding Method

26.

17 (T; pm)

Disease Resistance Laboratory/ Inoculating Tomato Plants with LB Disease

27.

19 (R; am)

Bulk Population Method

Single-Seed-Descent Breeding Method

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HORT IC ULTUR E 407
Spring 2015

DATE

TOPIC

28.

24 (T; am)

Backcross Breeding Method

29.

24 (T; pm)

Evaluating tomato plants for LB disease response

Harvesting F2 seeds from fast plants and sowing the F2 seeds

30.

26 (R; am)

Self-incompatibility (SI)

31.

31 (T; am)

Review for Exam 2

32.

31 (T; pm)

Exam 2

33. Apr.

2 (R; am)

Self-incompatibility (SI)/ Male Sterility (MS)

Scoring F2 fast plants for phenotypic segregation (submit individual F2 data to TA by
April 3)

34.

7 (T; am)

Review of Exam 2
Breeding Cross-fertilized Crops Theory

35.

7 (T; pm)

Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression

36.

9 (R; am)

Mass Selection in Cross-fertilized Crops

37.

14 (T; am)

Recurrent Selection in Cross-fertilized Crops

38.

14 (T; pm)

Hybrid Breeding in Cross-fertilized Crops

39.

16 (R; am)

Synthetic Varieties in Cross-fertilized Crops

40.

21 (T; am)

Turfgrass Breeding
(Fast plant lab report due)

41.

21 (T; pm)

Student Presentation

42.

23 (R; am)

Transgenic Plants

43.

28 (T; am)

Student Presentation

44.

28 (T; pm)

Student Presentation

45.

30 (R; am)

Student Presentation

FINAL EXAM: During the FINALS week (Week of May 4-8)

EXAMINATIONS:
Three (3) closed book examinations will be given:
Exam 1
February 17 (During Lab Session in the Afternoon)
Exam 2
March 31 (During Lab Session in the Afternoon)
Exam 3
During FINALS week (Week of May 4-8)
Both lecture information and reading assignments will be evaluated. The final exam will be comprehensive,
however, about 2/3 of the questions will be from the last part of the course. Application of knowledge, rather than
memorization will be stressed. You are expected to develop a thorough knowledge of the vocabulary of plant
genetics and breeding.

Plan t B ree ding

HORT IC ULTUR E 407
Spring 2015

ASSIGNMENTS:
Homework assignments and lab reports will be used to give students the opportunity to exercise methodologies
related to scientific exposition. There will be a total of 10 homeworks, each having 10 points. Also, there will be 2
lab reports, for a total of 30 points. The homeworks and lab-reports are generally due the week after each
assignment or lab session, unless otherwise noted. There will be a 3-point deduction on any late homework or lab
report. Any homework or lab report more than one week overdue (without consent of the instructor) will NOT be
accepted.
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS:
You are required to give a 10-12 minute presentation on genetics/breeding of a particular crop or on a particular
breeding technique. Student presentations will be during class and lab periods on April 21, 28 and 30. The order of
presentations will be based on students last names. You also will need to turn in a write-up about your presentation
(3-5 pages, single-space). The student presentation will have a total of 70 points, 35 pts for style of presentation and
35 pts for quality of writing. To ensure that we will have a variety of presentations and no conflict or overlap of
topics, you MUST turn in your presentation topic to the instructor no later than Tuesday, April 14. There will be a
5-point deduction for late submission of your topic. It is expected that you will use visual aids in this presentation.
More information about the presentation will be given during the semester.
GRADING:
Lecture/Lab Grading (Total of 600)
Exam 1
100 points
Exam 2
100 points
Exam 3
200 points
Homework (10 HWs)
100 points
Lab Report (2 reports)
30 points
Presentation
70 points
Total

600 points

ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to arrive on time, be present and participate in all class/laboratory discussions. Students are
required to notify the instructor ASAP if they will have to miss a class. Acceptable reasons for absence from class
include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements, severe weather conditions, religious
holidays and court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty).

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Spring 2015

DISABILITY STATEMENT
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus
has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Disability Services (ODS) Web site provides contact
information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/dcl. For further information, please visit the
Office for Disability Services Web site: http://equity.psu.edu/ods.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability
services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide
documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable
accommodations, your campuss disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please
share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as
possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT

Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences take violations of academic integrity very seriously. Faculty,
alumni, staff and fellow students expect each student to uphold the Universitys standards of academic integrity both
in and outside of the classroom.
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic
integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members
of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation,
students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and
maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a
commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, plagiarism, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts
of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of
work completed by others (see Faculty Senate Policy 4920 and G9 Procedures)
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/conduct/codeofconduct ).
Academic Integrity Guidelines for the College of Agricultural Sciences can be found at
http://agsci.psu.edu/students/resources/academic-integrity
A lack of knowledge or understanding of the Universitys Academic Integrity policy and the types of actions it
prohibits and/or requires does not excuse one from complying with the policy.