The work of the plant breeder and producer:
The table below summarizes some of the factors that dictate how hard a plant breeder will work to accomplish the goal of producing new varieties with desired grain quality traits and challenges a producer will encounter in different situations.
Table 1. Grain quality trait considerations
Factor | Impact on work |
---|---|
1. Trait can be measured in the field with visual inspection | Little extra work needed |
2. Trait measured in the lab with NIR or other inexpensive assay | Additional costs but does not limit numbers |
3. Traits measured by time consuming, expensive assay | Costly, imposes limits on numbers tested |
4. Trait controlled by environment | Breeder has less confidence in ability to select |
5. Trait controlled mostly by genetics | Breeder can select phenotypes that have desired genotypes |
6. Trait controlled by a few genes | Breeder can work with smaller numbers and get more predictable result |
7. Trait controlled by many genes | Breeder will need to work with larger numbers of offspring from each cross |
8. Trait is recessive | Easy to establish pure line, more challenging to maintain purity |
9. Trait is dominant | Pure lines need more testing, phenotype purity easier to maintain |
10. Maternal trait | Purity in field depends on seed planted |
11. Biparental trait | Producer will need to consider both females in their field and the male parents |
12. Self pollinating crop | Purity easier to maintain |
13. Cross pollinating crop | Purity more difficult to maintain |