2. ï It is the science of the production of new
crop varieties which are superior to their
parents.
ï It is the applied branch of botany dealing
with the improvement of agricultural crops
and others.
ï It is the great bone to achieve Green
Revolution in countries.
3. ï Production of high yielding varieties.
ï Production of improved plant varieties capable of
producing better quality products. Example: shape,
colour, size, taste.
ï Production of plant varieties with resistance to
diseases, insects, pests, frost, flood, drought, wind,
lodging, soil salinity and acidity.
ï Production of plant varieties with altered maturity
duration.
ï Production of plant varieties with desired growth
habit.
4. Example:
ï Winter hardiness.
ï Short and stiff straw to resist lodging.
ï Yield response to higher doses of manuring.
ï Awned or awnless of ears.
ï Adaptability to wide soil and climatic condition.
ï Suitability for machine harvesting.
ï Easy thrashability of grains.
6. ïIt started when man learnt to grow plants for the first time.
ïIt is an art.
ïPlans are selected on the will of man.
7. ï It has progressed through many gradual stages.
ï It is more scientific.
ï The scientific knowledge obtained from the following
works of,
a. Lamarck(1744-1829)
b. Darwin(1809-1882)
c. Mendel(1822-1884)
d. Weismann(1834-1935)
e. Johannsen(1857-1927)
f. Hugo de Vries(1848-1935)
g. Nilson Ehle(1908)
h. Vavilo(1887-1942)
8. a) Genetics
b) Cytology
c) Biometry
d) Taxonomy
e) Plant physiology
f) Pathology
g) Entomology
h) Ecology,etc.
9. Albert Howard(British scientist):
ï Started plant breeding work in wheat.
ï Released new varieties in 1907.
ï He is considered as the pioneer of crop improvement
in India.
Barber(British scientist):
ï He done breeding works in sugarcane.
ï Since than Indian scientist started plant breeding
works in 1920s onwards.
10. T.S. Venkataraman(1884-
1963)
An eminent sugarcane breeder, he
transferred thick stem and high sugar
contents from tropical noble cane
(Saccharum officinanum) to North Indian
Canes (Saccharum barberi). This process is
known as Noblization of sugarcane.
K. Ramaiah A renowned rice breeder. He developed several
high yielding varieties of rice when he was the
Director of CRRI, Cuttack.
B.P. Pal An eminent Wheat breeder, developed superior
disease resistant varieties of wheat and also first
director general of ICAR.
Pushkarnath A Famous potato breeder who developed several
high yielding varieties of potato. He was the
Director of CPRI, Shimala.
Dharampal Singh An eminent oil-seed breeder. He released several
varieties of oil-seeds(Rapeseed and Mustard)
from Kanpur.
N.G.P. Rao An eminent sorghum breeder who developed the
worldâs first hybrid of sorghum(CSH-1).
Some of the famous Indian plant breeders:
11. ï He is a famous agricultural scientist
who brought Green Revolution in
India.
ï Father of Green Revolution in India.
ï Introduced high yielding varieties of
wheat.
ï He developed high yielding Sonara
variety of wheat from Mexican Dwarf
varieties.
ï He established germplasm bank of
rice and wheat at IARI.
ï By his guidance, a gamma garden was
established in the cambus of IARI,
New Delhi, for assisting in radiation
breeding.
12. ï He was the worlds most
famous wheat breeder in
the USA.
ï He won Nobel Peace Prize
in 1970.
ï The Government of India
honoured him by awarding
Padma Vibhushan for his
assistance and guidance in
breeding improved
varieties of dwarf wheat in
India.