Agronomy and Horticulture Department
Segregation of Genes: The Plant Breeder's Method of Predicting the Future
Date of this Version
2013
Document Type
Article
Citation
Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary (PASSeL) Lesson
Abstract
How plant breeders create families with new combinations of traits and make predictions about the inheritance of traits. Discusses Mendel and Punnett.
Objectives
[Fig. 1. A field of wheat stretches to the horizon while neighboring weeds produce offspring for future invasions.]
After reading this lesson you should be able to:
- Describe how plant breeders can create families with new combinations of traits and make predictions about the inheritance of traits. [Covered in the sections Super Power through Segregation and Monogenic Characters.]
- Outline the experimental approach Mendel used to propose the idea that genes exist, control traits, and are inherited in predictable ways. [Mendel’s Peas]
- Compare the methods used by Mendel and Punnett to predict trait inheritance [Punnett and His Square].
- Justify the application of gene segregation principles to select plants that will create the future varieties for farmers to grow [Back to the Wheat Breeding Field].
Modules:
COinS
Comments
Copyright © 2013 Don Lee and Amy Kohmetscher. Used by permission.
NSE approved
This project was supported in part by the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants CAP project 2011-68002-30029 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, administered by the University of California-Davis and by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education, National SMETE Digital Library Program, Award #0938034, administered by the University of Nebraska. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA or NSF.
This project was supported by the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants CAP project 2011-68002-30029 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.