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  • You are a Botanist working in the area of plant breeding. Describe the various steps that you will undertake to release a new variety.

You are a Botanist working in the area of plant breeding. Describe the various steps that you will undertake to release a new variety.

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Following steps need to be taken to release a new variety of crop:

(a) Collection of Variability: Genetic variability is the most important for any breeding programme. For this, seeds of present cultivated varieties are collected along with seeds of wild varieties of plants. Currently cultivated varieties would give various desirable characters; from the perspective of better yield. Wild varieties will give desirable characters; from the perspective of resistance to various stresses.

(b) Selection and Evaluation of Parents: Germplasm is evaluated to make a list of desirable characters. Varieties, which fulfil most of the criteria, are then selected to produce pure lines.

(c) Cross Hybridization Among Selected Parents: After the above step, cross-hybridization of selected parents is carried out. The success rate of cross-hybridization is quite low because very few individuals in the next generation may show all the desirable characters. Hence, this is a time-consuming process, as well. Only one in a few hundreds or thousands of crosses show the desirable combination.

(d) Selection and Testing of Superior Recombinants: Crosses with the desirable combination are selected and are self-pollinated for several generations to produce pure lines.

(e) Testing and Release: Agriculture involves various applications and is done in different kinds of climates and in different soil types. This is especially true for a vast country like India. Once a pure line of a plant with desirable characters is obtained, it is grown in various simulated conditions to assess the viability in real life. Once a variety passes this test, it is ready for release in the market.

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