BIO3307 Plant Breeding (FOSCI)

Units 1.0 (Biological Sciences not elsewh) Band 6

Pre-requisite: BIO2209 Co-requisite: BIO2207

Synopsis

The course allows students to develop skills in both the theoretical and practical aspects of plant breeding. The course commences with a review of the historical importance of plant breeding. This is followed by a review of conventional strategies for plant breeding and the application of recent advances in plant biotechnology (particular DNA markers) to enhance the efficiency of selection within such breeding programs. The course concludes with a review of plant genetic engineering and it's major applications to date. Practical work in the course, via a residential workshop, includes a study of plant breeding strategies, the isolation of plant DNA and generation of molecular markers. This is followed by a series of visits to local plant breeding field stations. During the course, the history and evolution of several major crops is followed to demonstrate the practical application of many theoretical concepts in plant breeding.