AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS
Department of 
Faculty of Crop Science

Breeding field crops

Content

* Wheat improvement. Origin and classification. Genetics of wheat. Genetic variability-Genetic Resources. Wheat improvement methods. Wheat hybrids. Knowledge to improve: Performance. Earliness. Resistance to cold, drought, aluminum, pathogens, insects. Breeding for quality traits. *Barley improvement. Origin and Classification. Barley genetics. Botanical features, male sterility. Varieties of barley. Breeding methods. *Corn improvement. Origin and tribes. The genetics of maize. Fertilization of corn. Xenia. Heterozygosity of open pollinated (OP) populations. Population improvement. Varieties - hybrids. Production of improved hybrids. Improvement goals: performance, adaptability, quality *Potato improvement. Origin and classification. Potato genetics. Objectives and methods of improvement. Improvement at haploid and diploid level. Tissue, cell and protoplast culture. Botanical seed. Breeding for abiotic/biotic stressors. Seed production *Cotton improvement. Origin and classification. Genetics of wheat. Floral features. Male sterility. Methods of cotton breeding. The conservation of cotton varieties. The objectives of cotton breeding. The yield in fiber. Resistance to pathogens and insects. *Sugar beet improvement. Origin and classification. Floral features. Monospermia. Polyploidy. Improvement methods. Mass and offspring selection. Production of hybrids. Interspecific hybridization. Objectives: sugar yield, pathogen resistance, earliness. Storage capacity.

Learning results

The aim of this course is the students become familiar with plant breeding methods of selected representative field crops such as wheat, barley, corn, sugar beet, potato, cotton, so following graduation, they can be able to design and implement breeding programs for developing new cultivars. General information is provided concerning their origin and botanical characteristics, also a description of the target traits for breeding, as well as the appropriate breeding method.

Bibliography

“Principles of plant genetics and breeding” by Acquaah, George._Malden, MA ; Oxford : Blackwell, c2007

Faculty

+30 2105294629
marog@aua.gr
Teaching Staff with expertise in "Plant Breeding and Biometry" Office: Papadakis Building, 1st Floor, […]
(+30)2105294622
vpapasot@aua.gr
Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant […]
(+30)2105294625
etani@aua.gr
Assistant Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of […]

NEWSLETTER

The Faculty of Crop Science of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), was founded in June 1989 (Official Journal of the Hellenic Republic Νο. 166Α΄/16-6-1989) it is the first University Faculty of Crop Science founded in Greece
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