Breeding of Vegetable, Spice and Tuber crops (2+1)

Procedure of Pureline Selection

Main steps in the production of pureline variety are as follows:

• Selection of individual plants from a local / traditional variety, land races or some other mixed population
• Visual evaluation of individual plant progenies
• Yield trials
• Release of new pureline variety
Step number	Year	Details
One	First year	Many individual plants (about 200-3000) are selected from a local variety or some other mixed population based on phenotype. Any number of plants can be selected but importantly they should be homozygous. Seeds are harvested separately.
Two	Second year	Seeds from each plant are grown separately with proper spacing. Evaluated for characters under consideration. Probably in this first season it will not be possible to judge the value of separate lines well, but surely visually poor, weak and defective progenies can be rejected. Number of progenies is drastically reduced in this step, fewer are carried to step three.
Three	Third year	Seeds of second year crop are planted in a preliminary yield trial. Standard plots for comparison are introduced, undesirable progenies are rejected.
	Four to seven years	Replicated yield trials conducted at several locations. Standard plots for comparison are introduced, undesirable progenies are rejected. Tests are done for characters under consideration.
	Eighth year	Best progeny is released as a new pureline variety. Seed is multiplied for distribution.