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Lecture-18: Pure line selection and Mass selection
• Pure line: A pure line is the progeny of a single self-fertilized homozygous plant.
• Pure line Theory: The concept of pure line was proposed by Johannsen on the basis of his
studies with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) variety called Princess in 1903.
• The main features of pure lines are briefly presented below:
▪ Homogeneous and homozygous
▪ Non-heritable variation i.e. it will not transfer to the next generation.
▪ Highly uniform
▪ Selection is ineffective
▪ Narrow adaptation
▪ More prone to new diseases
• Sources of variation: In a pure line variety, natural outcrossing, mutations and mechanical
mixtures are the important sources of variation.
• The year wise procedure is given as follows: 10 years
▪ First year: 200-1000 individual plant selection
▪ Second year: Top 15-20 progenies are selected and seeds are bulked.
▪ Third year: Replicated field trials
▪ Fourth to seventh year: Yield trials; evaluation in AICRP. Best genotype is identified.
▪ Eighth to tenth year: The best performing strain is released and notified as a variey,
multiplied & distributed.
• Progeny testing is done in pure line selection to check the genetic makeup of the plant. It
was developed by Vilmorin in sugar-beet. That’s why it is known as “Vilmorin Isolation
Principle”.
• Advantages:
▪ Maximum possible improvement over original variety.
▪ Uniformity and more attractiveness, easily identifiable.
• Disadvantages:
▪ This method can isolate only superior genotypes; it cannot create new genotypes.
▪ It is not applicable in cross pollinated crop.
▪ Poor adaptability due to narrow genetic base vulnerable for new diseases and pests.
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• Mass Selection: Mass selection consists of selecting individuals on the basis of phenotypic
superiority and mixing the seeds for using as planting material for next season.
• Mass selection is the oldest method of plant breeding.
• The main features of varieties developed by mass selection in self and cross-pollinated
species are given below:
▪ Application: Mass selection is applicable to both self and cross-pollinated species.
However, it is more commonly used in the improvement of cross-pollinated crops than
in self-pollinated species. This method is rarely used in vegetatively propagated crops.
▪ Genetic constitution: In self-pollinated crops, a mass selected variety is homozygous
and heterogeneous, because it is a mixture of several pure lines. In cross pollinated
crops, such varieties are mixture of homozygotes and heterozygotes and heterogeneous.
▪ Adaptation: Mass selected varieties have wide adaptation and are more stable against
environmental changes due to heterogeneity which provides better buffering capacity.
▪ Variation: They are composed of several pure lines in self-pollinated crops and of
several homozygous and heterozygous genotypes in cross-pollinated crops. Hence
there is high variation.
• The year wise procedure is given as follows:
▪ First year: 55-1000 individual plant selection based on their phenotype and seeds are
mixed together to grow next generation.
▪ Second year: Compared with check i.e. Preliminary Yield Trials.
▪ Third to sixth year: Replicated field trials. Yield trials (multi-locational yield trials);
evaluation in AICRP. Best genotype is identified.
▪ Seventh to Eighth year: The best performing strain is released and notified as a
variety, multiplied and distributed.
• Advantages of mass-selection:
▪ More adaptable variety since each plant is genotypically not similar.
▪ Time taken for release of a variety is less.
▪ The genetic variability present in the original population is maintained.
• Disadvantages of mass-selection:
▪ Less uniform as compared to pure lines.
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▪ In the absence of progeny test we are not sure whether the superiority of selected plant
is due to environment or genotype.
• Modification of mass selection:
▪ 1. Rejection of inferior plants: Inferior plants are removed before flowering.
▪ 2. Use of composite pollen: Pollens are collected then bulked.
▪ 3. Stratification of field: Also known as grid method of mass selection. This method
is suggested by Gardner in 1961. Field is divided into several small plots, e.g., having
40-50 plants each. Superior plants are selected in each small plot. Seeds are selected
and composite to raise the next generation.
▪ 4. Progeny selection: Also known as ear to row method. It is developed by Hopkins in
the year 1908 and used extensively in maize.
▪ Steps followed in progeny selection/ ear to row method are as follows:
➢ 1. Number of plants (50-100) are selected on the basis of phenotypic superiority. They
are allowed to open pollinate and the seed is harvested separately.
➢ 2. Progeny rows are grown (each 10-50 plants) from the selected plants. They are
evaluated for desirable characters and superior progenies are identified.
➢ 3. From the superior progenies several superior plants are selected based on
phenotypic characters. Plants are allowed to open pollinate. Plants are harvested
separately.
➢ 4. Small progeny rows are grown and the process of selection and raising progeny
rows is repeated till superior population is obtained. May be for 2 or 3 selection cycles.
➢ At the end superior plants from superior families are selected and composited to
produce a new variety.
• Achievements
▪ Pure line selection: Rice: Mtu-1, Mtu-3, Mtu-7, Bcp-1, Adt-1, Adt-3, Adt-5 & Adt-10;
Sorghum: G 1 & G 2, M 1 & M 2, OO 1, 4 & 5; Groundnut: TMV 3, 4, 7, 8 and
Kadiri 71-1; Red gram: TM-1, ST-1; Chilli : G1 & G2; Ragi : AKP 1 to 7
▪ Mass selection: Cotton: Dharwad American Cotton; Groundnut: TMV-1 & TMV-2;
Bajra: Pusa moti, Baja puri, Jamnagar giant, AF3; Sorghum: R.S. 1; Rice: SLO 13,
MTU-15; Potato: K122
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