Conventional versus non-conventional methods for crop improvement

1. Assignment Presentation
On
Conventional versus non-conventional
methods for crop improvement
Presented To
Dr. Shambhoo Prasad
Associate Professor, Department of PMB&GE,
ANDUA&T, Kumarganj, Ayodhya-224229
Presented By
Mr. Prabhat Kumar Singh
Ph. D. Agril. Biotechnology
ID. No. A-10047/17/22
Course Title: Plant Genome Engineering
(MBB-602) 3(3+0)
Dr. Adesh Kumar
Assistant Professor, Department of PMB&GE,
ANDUA&T, Kumarganj, Ayodhya-224229

2. Conventional versus non-conventional methods for crop
improvement
 Eight to ten thousand years ago, farmers have been altering the genetic makeup of
the crops they grow;
 Early farmers selected the best looking plants and seeds and saved them to plant
for the next season;
 By using science of genetics breeders use that knowledge to develop the improved
varieties with the desired traits
 The selection for features such as
 Faster growth
 Higher yields
 Pest and disease resistance
 Larger seeds
 Sweeter fruits

3. Cotin...
 has dramatically changed domesticated plant species compared to their
wild relatives.
 For example:
 Initially thousands of years ago corn was found like finger of a hand.
 Today, there are hundreds of corn varieties which having various size are
available

4. Conventional Methods of Crop Improvements
 Conventional plant breeding has been the
method used to develop new varieties of
crops for hundreds of years.
 However, conventional plant breeding can no
longer sustain the global demand with the
 Increasing population
 Decline in agricultural resources such as land
and water, and the
 Decreasing of the yield curve of the staple
crops.
 Thus, new crop improvement technologies
should be developed and utilized

5. Mutation Breeding
 Recognizing desirable traits and use them into future generations is very important in
plant breeding.
 A few superior traits occasionally arise spontaneously through a process called
mutation.
 But the natural rate of mutation is very slow.
 In 1920s, researchers discovered that they could greatly increase the number of these
variations or mutations by exposing plants to X-rays and mutation-inducing chemicals
 “Mutation breeding” accelerated after World War II, when the techniques of the
nuclear age became widely available.
 Plants were exposed to gamma rays, protons, neutrons, alpha particles, and beta
particles to see if these would induce useful mutations.
 Chemicals such as sodium azide and ethyl methanesulphonate, were also used to
cause mutations.
 Mutation breeding efforts continue around the world today.

6. Mutation Breeding conti.....
 In the 73 years of mutation breeding
(1939- 2013), a total of 3,218 varieties
obtained through mutation breeding.
 As well as other important crops that
were improved to possessagronomically
desirable characteristics.
Crop Number
Rice 824
Barley 312
Wheat 274
Maize 96
Common bean 57
Potato 20
Sugarcane 13
Soybean 2

7. Hybrid Seed Technology
 In hybrid seed technology, two pure lines with complementing traits and are
derived from diversely related parents are bred together by hand.
 F1 hybrids are tested for hybrid vigor in all agronomic and yield parameters and
compared to both parents.
 The resulting offspring's will usually perform more vigorously than either
parents.
 In China increased production from 140 million tons in 1978 to 188 million tons
in 1990 using the hybrid seed technology.
 With the proven impact of hybrid seed technology, new tools for hybrid
breeding were discovered.
 Utilized for self-pollinating crops including development of CMS lines.

8. Pure line and hybrid seed technology

9. Limitations of Conventional Methods
 In this methods of crop improvement hybrid varieties has had a tremendous
impact on agricultural productivity over the last decades.
 While an extremely important tool, conventional plant breeding also has its
limitations
1. Breeding can only be done between two plants that can sexually mate with
each other. This limits the new traits that can be added to those that already
exist in that species.
2. When plants are crossed, many traits are transferred along with the trait of
interest including traits with undesirable effects on yield potential.

10. Non Conventional Methods For Crop
Improvements

11. Non Conventional Methods For Crop Improvements
 Over the last 50 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly
due to the greater understanding of DNA.
 DNA having code from which genes are made.
 The term genetic engineering is used to describe the process by which the
genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using “recombinant DNA
technology”.

12. Difference Between Conventional and Non Conventional
Methods
S. No. Conventional Method Non conventional Method
1. Limited to exchanges between the
same or very closely related species
Allows the direct transfer of one or just
a few genes, between either closely or
distantly related organisms
2. Little or no guarantee of any particular
gene combination from the million of
crosses generated
Crop improvement can be achieved in a
shorter time compared to conventional
Breeding
3. Undesirable genes can be transferred
along with desirable genes
Allows plants to be modified by
removing or switching off particular
Genes
4. Takes a long time to achieve desired
results

13. Modern Concept of Crop Breeding

14. Plant Tissue Culture
 Tissue culture is the cultivation of plant cells, tissues, or organs on
specially formulated nutrient media.
 Under the right conditions, an entire plant can be regenerated from a
single cell.
 Plant tissue culture is a technique that has been around for more than
30 years.
 There are several types of tissue culture depending on the part of the
plant (explant) used.

15. Plant Tissue Culture

16. Anther Culture
 It is an artificial technique by which the developing anthers at a precise and
critical stage are excised aseptically from unopened flower bud and are
cultured on a nutrient medium where the microspores within the cultured
anther develop into callus tissue or embryoids that give rise to haploid
plantlets (formation of haploid plants) either through organogenesis or
embryogenesis.
 The first report of haploid tissue from anther culture was in 1964-1966 in
pollen grains of Datura by Maheshwari and Guha.
 Production of haploids reported in about 250 species, Solanaceae, cruciferae,
gramineae/Poaceae are most common
 Anther/pollen culture is referred as ANDROGENESIS (the male gametophyte
(microspore or immature pollen) produces haploid plant)

17. Anther Culture of Rice

18. Other Methods Use In The Plant Tissue Culture
 Micro propagation,
 Embryo Rescue,
 Somaclonal Variation,
 Pollen culture,
 Ovary culture etc.

19. Molecular Breeding And Marker Assisted Selection
 Plant breeders now use molecular marker-assisted selection,
 To help identify specific genes, scientist use what are called molecular markers,
 Which are short strings or sequence of nucleic acid which makes up a segment
of DNA.
 The markers are located near the DNA sequence of the desired gene,
 Since the markers and the genes are close together on the same chromosome,
they tend to stay together as each generation of plants is produced, This is
called genetic linkage.
 This linkage helps to predict whether a plant will have the desired gene

20. Marker Assisted Selection
 A method of selecting desirable individuals in a breeding scheme
based on DNA molecular marker patterns instead of, or in addition
to, their trait values.
 A tool that can help plant breeders select more efficiently for
desirable crop traits.
 MAS is not always advantageous, so careful analysis of the costs
and benefits relative to conventional breeding methods is
necessary.

22. Genetic Engineering And GM Crops

23. Genetically Modified Crops
 GM crops are developed by a process of genetic modification by which
selected individual genes are inserted from one organism into another
(i.e. bacterial gene into cotton) to enhance desirable characteristics
(‘traits’) or to suppress undesirable ones ( i.e. a tomato with reversed
DNA to slow down ripening).
 Genetically modified crops (GM crops) are also called as genetically
engineered (GE), “transgenic” or “biotech” crops.

24. History of GMO’s
 In 1980, the first transgenic animal is created, a mouse.
 1980s, transgenic plants are started to be created in china.
 1988, first transgenic plants producing a pharmaceutical.
 1995, GMO corn hits the market in the USA.
 1996, Roundup Ready Soybeans hit market in USA.
 1998, First GM labelling rules introduced to provide consumers with
information regarding the use of GM ingredients in food.
 Over the years, we have developed new and better ways to manage
and produce GMO crops.

25. Why to make transgenic crops?
 Due to limitations of conventional breeding for attaining the desirable traits use
of recombinant DNA technology has been taken advantage of and development
of transgenics started

26. Transgenic Crops:
Development objective
 Integrated pest management (IPM)
 Herbicide tolerance (HT)
 Nutritional enhancements
 Product quality improvement
 Increase in yield
 Stress tolerance (ST)
 Plant based pharmaceuticals

27. Development of GM Crop/Transgenic
 Identifying gene(s)
 Giving a desired trait
 Make copies of the gene
 Transfer to plant tissue
 Regenerate plants
 Lab analysis and safety testing
 Development of a variety
 Field tests
 Approval by Government agencies
 Monitoring of safety

28. Produce Transgenic Plant

29. List of Plant Products of Biotechnology