Question

List various methods used for crop improvement. Describe how the objective is achieved by using any one of them.

Answer 1

Hint: Food crops are crops that contribute to the significant food supply in the world. These include grains, seeds , nuts, fruits , vegetables, legumes, spices , herbs, drinks, etc. A big source of human food is grains. For most populations, they act as a staple food. These include rice, wheat , barley, maize and so on. Legumes and dried beans are inexpensive and have a longer shelf-life. Thus, in seasons when food is scarce, they can be used.

Complete Answer:
The six methods of crop improvement are highlighted in the following points. Methods are as follows: 1. Plant Introduction 2. Acclimatization 3. Mutants Breeding 4. Polyploidy 5. Tissue Culture 6. Genetic engineering.

1. Plant Introduction: Plant introduction typically involves the introduction of plants from locations outside the county, which may be of the same or other continent. It can be defined as the process of taking plants from their growing locality to a new locality.

2. Acclimatization: Acclimatization accompanies the implementation, and all phases are side-by - side. Acclimatization is the adaptation or adaptation of an individual plant or plant population under the changed environment over a number of generations: it is also a kind of natural selection that occurs within the introduced plant material.

3. Mutation Breeding: Sudden genetic shift in the characteristic of the organism is called mutation; the role of mutations with the aid of mutagens is called mutagenesis.
Breeding method The method of breeding the mutation produced by mutagenesis is called mutation breeding. Gamma rays and x-rays are the most widely used physical mutagens, while EMS (ethyl methane sulphonate), EI (ethylene imine) and sodium azide are the most commonly used chemical mutagens.

3. Polyploidy:An organism or entity with more than two simple monoploid sets of chromosomes is called polyploid (Gr. Polys = many + aploos = one fold + eidos – form) and this disorder is called polyploidy. Polyploidy is in two kinds – autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy.

4. Tissue Culture: Development of tissues of the living organism in an effective culture medium (in vitro) I is called tissue culture. Plant tissue culture refers to the growth of plant tissues in an acceptable culture medium. The part of the plant used for regeneration is called the explants).

5. Genetics Engineering: The isolation, introduction and expression of foreign DNA in plants and animals is referred to as genetic engineering. It includes the insertion of a gene using recombinant DNA technology and genetic transformation techniques.
- Improving crop varieties is the primary step towards improving food crop production. It helps to grow crops with the desired characteristics , such as high yields, resistance to disease, quality of the product and response to fertilisers. Various strains of food crops with desirable characteristics can be cultivated naturally as well as scientifically. There are two of them as follows:
- Hybridisation: The crossing of genetically dissimilar plants is referred to as hybridisation. Between different varieties (intervarietal), between two different species with the same gene (interspecific) or between different genes (intergeneric), hybridization may take place.
- Incorporation of Gene: Genes are the ones responsible for the traits. Thus, by integrating genes with desirable traits, we can boost crop quality and quantity. This approach is more experimental and results in genetically modified food crops

Note: Crop production in many countries is more like a sector. The strains that we are creating must therefore be commercially profitable. The new varieties should be capable of achieving optimum quality and quantity under various conditions and regions. We also need to be very selective regarding seeds in order to consider them.