Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BIOS4042 | Biosciences | 4 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- BIOS4042
- School
- Biosciences
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The genetic improvement of crop plants is critical to address issues of food security for a growing world population. It is also the key to tackling environmental degradation and to meeting the increasingly strict regulations on agricultural pollution which are coming into force in many Western countries. While these issues are not identical, they are linked and efficient plant breeding can be part of the solution to both. The module will use lectures, case and literature studies, research plan presentations, external expert seminars and practical exposure to crop breeding and molecular techniques to provide a firm basis for future crop breeding. The emphasis is the application of Biotechnology to conventional breeding, but the place of Genetic Modification in the genetic improvement of crops is also addressed. Crops covered include temperate and tropical, annual and perennial, in-breeding and out-breeding with emphasis on how genetic improvement will be achieved in the near future, while recognising the potential of novel techniques and the existence of varying priorities, in the face of a changing climate.
Target Students
Students on Crop Improvement
Classes
- One 4-hour un assigned each week for 6 weeks
- One 4-hour practicum each week for 2 weeks
- Two 4-hour lectures each week for 22 weeks
Assessment
- 35% Coursework 1: 1 essay (2000 word), 1 presentation (20 mins)
- 35% Practical: Practical write up 1500 words
- 30% Group Presentation Excercise
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To provide students with an understanding of crop genetic improvement through lectures, practicals and case studies - To provide students with an appreciation of how modern and technological approaches can enhance crop breeding programmes and be able to assess their limitations - To give students the intellectual and practical skills to form a basis for a potential career in biotechnology as applied to crop breeding.Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Explain the domestication of crops, the genetics of traits and how crops are bred.
- Describe the application of molecular markers as a way to assist crop breeding and their use for the development of genetic maps.
- Identify major traits and issues which will need to be tackled by crop breeding and improvement.
- Compare multiple approaches that are currently being used in genetic improvement programmes.
- Test the use of genetic markers for genetic linkage in wide cross mapping populations.
- Evaluate an improvement plan for an agronomically important crop species.