ONLINE COURSE PLANT BREEDING -DISTANCE EDUCATION TRAINING FOR PLANT BREEDERS
- Learn the principles and practices of plant breeding.
- Indulge a passion, start a business, work in plant development
- Expand your career possibilities in the nursery and broader horticulture industry
Plant breeding is a bigger industry than most people realize. In some places, earnings from plant breeding rights can equal or exceed earnings from actually producing plants. Today's nurseryman needs to understand plant breeding and selection; and to this end, this course is a very valuable and unique course for anyone working in the modern industry.
Comment Received from a Student " I have never found the staff at any other learning institution as supportive as the staff at ACS. This gives one a lot of peace of mind and confidence to go on - at every squeak from my side, you guys have always been there, immediately to sort me out. The feedback on my lessons has always been really good and meaningful and an important source of my learning. Thanks!..."
Lesson Structure
There are 7 lessons in this course:
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The Scope and Nature of the Plant Breeding Industry
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Introduction to Genetics
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Gamete Production, Pollination and Fertilisation in Plants
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Mono Hybrid and Dihybrid Inheritance in Plants
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Systematic Botany and Floral Structures
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Practical Plant Breeding Techniques
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Current Developments in Plant Genetics
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Describe the commercial and scientific nature of the modern plant breeding industry, on a global basis
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Describe the structure and function of genetic material
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Describe gamete production in plants.
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Explain the results of mono hybrid and dihybrid inheritance in plants.
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Investigate the role of systematic botany in horticulture.
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Explain a variety of different plant breeding techniques
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Review current developments in plant breeding.
Plant Breeding Tips
The essential aspects of most breeding programs are:
- Selection of genetically variable individuals or families within a base population.
- Using the selected material to create new populations for use either as potential commercial varieties or as the basis for a new cycle of selection.
Before starting a breeding program, it is essential to know the plant’s pollination requirements – whether it is self or cross pollinated – and how it behaves when it is inbred or crossbred.
BREEDING SELF-POLLINATED CROPS
The genetic effect of continued self fertilisation in self-pollinated plants is to reveal the dominant and recessive genes. As Mendel’s experiments show, heterozygosity is reduced by one half in each generation, so that after six or seven generations of selfing, a population will consist almost entirely of equal numbers of homozygotes. In this way, selection of characters by continued selfing results in pure lines – these plants are said to be ‘pure breeding’ or breeding ‘true to type’.
The following methods are used to breed self-pollinated crops.
Pure-line Breeding
In pure-line breeding (also known as ‘single plant selection’) the new variety is made of the progeny of a single pure line. It involves three steps:
1. Selecting a large number of superior individuals from a genetically variable population.
2. Raising the self progeny of each of these over several years, preferably in different environments. Unsuitable lines are eliminated in each generation. When the breeder can no longer select superior lines by observation only, the third step is commenced.
3. Replicating the trials to compare the remaining selections. This is done over several seasons (at least three years) to compare them with each other and with existing commercial varieties.
Mass Selection
In mass selection the progeny of many pure lines are used to form the new variety. Unlike pure-line selection where the derived type consists of a single pure line, in mass selection the majority of selected lines are likely to be retained.
It is not as rigorous as pure-line breeding – obviously inferior plants are destroyed before flowering but overall many lines are kept and contribute to the genetic base. This gives the advantage of retaining the best features of an original variety and avoids the extensive testing required in step 3 of pure-line breeding.
Pedigree Breeding
This is the most widely used method of breeding in self-pollinated plants. Superior types are selected in successive segregating generations (as in pure-line breeding) and a record is kept of all parent-progeny relationships. It starts with the crossing of two varieties which complement each other with respect to one or more desirable characters. In the F2 generation a single plant selection is made of the individuals the breeder thinks will produce the best progeny. In the F3 and F4 generations, many loci become homozygous and family characteristics begin to appear. By the F5 and F6 generations, most families are homozygous at most loci; hence selection with families is no longer very effective, only between them.
Its main advantage is that the plant breeder is able to exercise his/her skill in selecting plants to a greater degree than other self-pollinating breeding methods. A disadvantage is the limitation it has on the amount of material one breeder can handle.
Horticulture Tutors
John L. Mason Dip.Hort.Sc., Sup'n Cert., FIOH, FPLA, FAIH, MACHPER, MASA
Mr Mason has had over 40 years experience in the fields of Horticulture, Recreation, Education and Journalism. He has extensive experience both as a public servant, and as a small business owner. He has held positions ranging from Nurseryman and Horticultural Research Officer to Director of Parks and Recreation (City of Essendon) and magazine editor. He is a fellow of the Institutes of Horticulture (both Australia and UK ), and Parks & Leisure Australia; and a long term member of more than 20 national and international associations and institutes. John is a well respected member of many professional associations, and author of over thirty five books and of over two thousand magazine articles. Even today, John continues to write books for various publishers including Simon and Shuster, and Landlinks Press (CSIRO Publishing), including the books on Nursery Management and Cutting Propagation..
Dr. Lynette Morgan B. Hort. Tech., Ph.D. in Horticultural Science
Dr Morgan has a broad expertise in horticulture and crop production, and a keen appreciation of the global scene. She travels widely as a partner in Suntec Horticultural Consultants, and has clients in central America, the USA, Caribbean, South East Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
Gavin Cole B.Sc., Psych.Cert., Cert.Garden Design, MACA
Gavin has over 20 years of industry experience in Psychology, Landscaping, Publishing and Education. He was operations manager for a highly reputable British Landscape firm (The Chelsea Gardener) before starting up his own firm. He spent the best part of three years working in our Gold Coast office, partly as a writer for Your Backyard (gardening magazine), and partly as a tutor in both psychology and horticulture.
Diana Cole B.A. (Hons), Higher Dip. (Garden Design), RHS Advanced Cert. Horticulture, Cert Admin.Mgt., Dip. Inst. Personnel Management In addition to her RHS horticulture, garden design, City & Guild construction, NPTC pesticide/legislation and business/management qualifications, Diana has a variety of skills drawn from setting up Arbella Gardens, a landscape gardening business. She also has administrative, management and training delivery experience drawn from her employment in other organisations such as the NHS and other educational institutions such as schools & universities. She has augmented her training expertise having gained the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector qualification. She also has experience gained through working as a volunteer in a number of different roles including amenity style gardening in parks and practical conservation work.
Maggi Brown Cert.Ed.(Environment)
Maggi is regarded as an expert in Organic Growing throughout the UK, having worked for two decades as Education Officer at the world renowned Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic). She has been active in education, environmental management and horticulture across the UK for more them three decades.
Yvonne Sharpe RHS Cert.Hort, Dip.Hort, M.Hort, Cert.Ed., Dip.Mgt.
Over 30 years of experience in horticulture, education and management, Yvonne hastravelled widely within and beyond Europe, and has worked in many areas of horticulture from garden centres to horticultural therapy. She has served on industry committees and been actively involved with amateur garden clubs for decades.
Thady Barrett M.Hort (RHS) Thady is a consultant to the horticulture industry in the UK, with particular interest in the ornamental plant sector. Previously a senior lecturer at Writtle College for 20 years which included being course tutor for RHS qualifications. Wide ranging practical horticultural experience but with specific interest in propagation techniques and plant production technologies. Member of the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS) and awarded the Rose Bowl Award in 2009 in recognition of his contribution to the society
