Crop Improvement Strategy

GEPB-375
Tanushree Halder, PhD
Associate Professor
Dept. of Genetics and Plant Breeding
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
Dhaka-1207
Email: halder.tanushree_gepb@sau.edu.bd
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 Hunger
Importance of crop:
• Food
• Feed
• Oil
• Fiber
Malnutrition
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 Reasons of world hunger and malnutrition
❑Climate change

❑Lower crop yield

❑Poor nutrition

❑Uneven food distribution

❑Poor economy

❑War and conflict

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Can plant
genetics and
breeding combat
hunger and
malnutrition???

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 ❑Plant introduction and acclimatization

❑Breeding methods for self-pollinated crops

❑Development of hybrid varieties

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 PLANT INTRODUCTION
AND
ACCLIMATIZATION
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 What is germplasm?
❖Crop breeding
❖Research Plant
Plants
and parts

❖Conservation efforts
Seeds Tissues

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 Types of germplasm
❑ Land races
• Primitive
• Evolved over centuries through both natural and artificial selection, but without a systematic
and sustained plant breeding effort
❑ Obsolete varieties
• Developed by systematic breeding effort
• Previous commercial variety
❑ Varieties in cultivation
❑ Breeding lines
❑ Special genetic stock
• Lines with gene mutation, markers or other modifications
❑ Wild forms
• Crop species directly derived
❑ Wild relatives
• Species related to the wild species during evolution
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 Image source:
Khalid, A., Hameed, A., & Tahir, M. F. (2023). Wheat quality: A review on chemical composition, nutritional attributes, grain anatomy, types,
classification, and function of seed storage proteins in bread making quality. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1053196.
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 For more information:

• Gabriel, C. J. (1992). Managing Global Genetic Resources: The US National Plant

Germplasm System. BioScience, 42(3), 201-203.

• Offord, C. A. (2017). Germplasm conservation.

• Plucknett, D. L., Smith, N. J. H., Williams, J. T., & Anishetty, N. M. (1983). Crop

germplasm conservation and developing countries. Science, 220(4593), 163-169.

• Singh, B. D. (2018). Plant Breeding: Principles & Methods. Kalyani publishers.

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 Plant Introduction

Asparagus: Italy Violet hibiscus: Australia Pearl millet: Africa

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Plant introduction is the transfer of a genotype or a group of genotypes
into a new area, region or country.

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 Types of introduction
❖Primary introduction ❖Secondary introduction

• Variety is well-adapted to a new • For selection

environment • For further improvement through

• Can be released as a variety hybridization

• Less common • More common

E.g.: Tomatillo E.g.: SAU White Maize-2, and Kalayan

4/11/2023 Sona and Sonalika wheat varieties 13
 Purpose of crop introduction
❑New crops

❑New varieties

❑Disease or pest resistant varieties

❑Use in crop improvement programs

❑Use in scientific studies

❑Use for aesthetic value

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 What can be achieved by

crop introduction???

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 Plant
introduction
procedure
Germplasm
procurement
Direct request
Gift, exchange, purchase or
collection

Quarantine Evaluation Multiplication and

Cataloguing
Keeping materials in distribution
isolation to observe -Accession number Multidisciplinary test of the
crop Multilocational trial
plant material’s
-Place of origin
health
-Adaptation

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 Plant introduction agencies in Bangladesh

Quarantine: Germplasm Introduction:

Plant Quarantine wing, DAE

Ministry of Agriculture,
(http://pqw.dae.gov.bd/dae_plant
Government of the People’s
_quarantine/users/login)

Republic of Bangladesh.
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Advantages: Disadvantages:

o New variety o Weeds

o Enriched germplasm o Diseases

o Superior variety o Pests

o Quick and economical o Ecological imbalance

Read more: Pallewatta, N., Reaser, J. K., & Gutierrez, A. T. (2003). Invasive
o Crop protection alien species in South-Southeast Asia: national reports and directory of
resources. Invasive alien species in South-Southeast Asia: national reports
and directory of resources.

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 Acclimatization
• Process of plant material’s adaptation to a new environment.

• Causes natural selection

• Varietal performances improve with generation number

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 Factors affect acclimatization

➢Mode of pollination

➢Extent of genetic variability in the original population

➢Life-cycle of the crop

➢Mutation

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