Breeding and Seed Production of Ornamental Crops (2+1)

Procedure of Plant Introduction

Plant introduction is one of the oldest and very effective methods of plant breeding. The main function of plant introduction is to make available the germplasm that can be utilized in plant breeding programme.
Introduction consists of various steps:-

1. Procurement.
2. Quarantine
3. Cataloging
4. Evaluation
5. Multiplication

1) Procurement of germplasm

• The new germplasm is procured through NBPGR, New Delhi.
• Scientists, individuals and institutions can submit their requirement to Director, NBPGR, Pusa Complex N.Delhi-12.
• If the bureau is unable to meet the request from its own stock or from known source it attempts to procure them from the counterparts in other countries.
• Generally the material is obtained through correspondence as gifts or exchange of germplasm in consideration of past gifts to the Bureau or in anticipation of future gifts.
• The Bureau participation in the activities of NBPGR aims at free exchange of germplasm and is helpful in arranging supply of needed germplasm.
• The plant part depending on the crop species e.g. seeds; tubers; suckers, bulbs or cuttings etc. can be procured.

2) Quarantine

• It is to keep the material in isolation to prevent spreading of diseases etc.
• All introduced material is thoroughly inspected for contamination with diseases, weeds and insects. Plants that are suspected to be contaminated are fumigated or are given other isolation for treatments and observed for insect pests and disease.
• The entire process is known as quarantine and the rules which are used for this are known as Quarantine rules.
• It is essential that all the material being introduced must be accompanied by an authentic phytosanitary certificate.
• The plant material being introduced or exported must confirm to certain quarantine regulations and quarantine control is exercised by NBPGR at different points of entry.
• The phytosanitary certificate is thoroughly inspected and returned back to the sender or owner.

3) Cataloging

All the plant material which is introduced is given an entry number and information regarding agency, place of origin, adaptation etc and is well documented.
Plant material is classified in three categories

• Exotic collection (EC)
• Indigenous collection(IC)
• Indigenous wild collection
4) Evaluation

• The plant material is sent to sub stations of the bureau and evaluated with respect to various characters to assess the potential of new introductions.

5) Acclimatization

• It is the process that leads to the adaptation of a variety to a new environment.
• Variability must be present in original population so that natural selection could lead to acclimatization. The extent of acclimatization is determined by range of genetic variability in original
population and duration of life cycle of crop.
• Cross pollination leads to far more gene recombination than self pollination. The greater the initial variation the more is acclimatization.

6) Multiplication and distribution

• Plant material which is introduced is to be multiplied and further tested at various locations. The suitability of cultivation in different regions of the country should be assessed before using it as a commercial variety.