Plant Breeding

Backcross Breeding 1 - Basic Gene Inheritance

This lesson reviews the basics of gene inheritance. It compares plants that are homozygous, heterozygous, and hemizygous for an allele and how gene expression is affected by the dominance of an allele. It also explains how to use a Punnett square to predict genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring.

Backcross Breeding 2 - The Backcrossing Process

This lesson discusses the final stage of developing genetically engineered crops. The need for backcrossing, and the steps of this breeding method are described. Yield lag, yield drag, and gene stacking are also discussed.

Advanced Backcross Breeding

This lesson is a detailed explanation of the backcross breeding process. Variations based on whether backcrossing is performed with dominant, recessive, or multiple traits are discussed. Calculations associated with backcross breeding are explained.

Breeding for Grain Quality Traits: The challenges of measuring phenotypes and identifying genotypes.

An introduction to methods and difficulties of plant breeding. Comparisons are made between corn, proso millet, wheat, and sorghum.

Corn Breeding: Lessons From the Past

This is the first in a series of lessons specifically designed to instruct individuals without any formal training in genetics or statistics about the science of corn breeding. Individuals with formal training in genetics or statistics but without any training in plant breeding also may benefit from these lessons.

Corn Breeding: Introduction to Concepts in Quantitative Genetics

This is the second in a series of lessons specifically designed to instruct individuals without any formal training in genetics or statistics about the science of corn breeding. Individuals with formal training in genetics or statistics but without any training in plant breeding also may benefit from taking these lessons.

Corn Breeding: Mass Selection

This is the fourth in a series of lessons specifically designed to instruct individuals without any formal training in genetics or statistics about the science of corn breeding. Individuals with formal training in genetics or statistics but without any training in plant breeding also may benefit from taking these lessons.

Corn Breeding: Types of Cultivars

This is the third in a series of lessons specifically designed to instruct individuals without any formal training in genetics or statistics about the science of corn breeding. Individuals with formal training in genetics or statistics but without any training in plant breeding also may benefit from taking these lessons.

Corn Flowers and Hybrid Seeds

An explanation of how hybrid corn is grown, and how the monoecious nature of corn is used to manipulate the cross-breeding.

Flowering Principles

What is a "flower" and what are its structures? How do the male and female parts operate to produce seed? Monoecious versus dioecious; perfect versus imperfect.

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.

Native Plant Breeding: Bringing the Beauty of Nature Home

Looks at how native plant breeders create plants with new combinations of desired traits; the relationship between plants, flowers and seeds; male and female structures flowers; flower types based on structures observed in the flower; and how flower structures impact plant crossbreeding.