Breeding of Fruit and Plantation Crops 2 + 1

Introduction

 
• A plant is said to be healthy or normal when it carries out its physiological functions to the best of its genetic potential. These normal functions include division, differentiation, and development. Absorption of water and minerals from soil and translocation of these throughout the plants, photosynthetic product to areas of utilization or storage, the metabolism of synthesized compounds, reproduction and storage of food supplies.


• A plant becomes diseased when it is disturbed by pathogen under certain environmental conditions which interfere with one or more of its essential functions. Diseased plant refers to any disturbance brought about by living organism under environmental factors which interfere with normal function of plant or in other words when any organ and part of plant is not doing their work properly and when either the growth or reproduction is not going forward in natural or regular manner.


• Breeding varieties/hybrids resistant to biotic stresses viz., pests, diseases and nematodes and abiotic stresses viz., drought, salinity and adverse climatic conditions like frost, chilling temperature are the primary objectives in any breeding programme.