Syllabus
Theory
Centres of origin, distribution of species, wild relatives in different cereals; pulses; oilseeds; fibres; fodders and cash crops; vegetable and other horticultural crops of kharif season; Plant genetic resources, its utilization and conservation, study of genetics of qualitative and quantitative characters; Important concepts of breeding self-pollinated, cross-pollinated and vegetatively propagated crops. Major breeding objectives and procedures including conventional and modern innovative approaches for development of hybrids and varieties for yield, adaptability, stability, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and quality (physical, chemical, nutritional); Hybrid seed production technology in maize, rice, sorghum, pearl millet and pigeopea etc. Ideotype concept, climate resilient crop varieties for future.
Practical
Botany of crops, Floral biology, emasculation and hybridization techniques in different crop species, viz. rice, jute, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, ragi, pigeopea, urdbean, mungbean, soybean, groundnut, sesame, castor, cotton, cowpea, tabacco, brinjal, okra and cucurbitaceous crops. Maintenance breeding of different kharif crops. Handling of germplasm and segregating populations by different methods like pedigree, bulk and single seed decent methods; Study of field techniques for seed production and hybrid seed production in kharif crops; Estimation of heterosis, inbreeding depression and heritability; Layout of field experiments; Study of quality characters, donor parents for different characters; Visit to seed production plots; Visit to AICRP breeding plots of different crops.