Hybridization (1)

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 7

Hybridization

Individual produced as a result of cross between two genetically different parents is known as
hybrid. The natural or artificial process that results in the formation of hybrid is known as
hybridization. The production of a hybrid by crossing two individuals of unlike genetical
constitution is known as hybridization. Hybridization is an important method of combining
characters of different plants. Hybridization does not change genetic contents of organisms but it
produces new combination of genes.

The first natural hybridization was recorded by Cotton Mather (1716) in corn. The first artificial
interspecific plant hybrid was produced by Thomas Fairchild in 1717. It is commonly known
as ‘Fairchild Mule’.
Hybridization was first of all practically utilized in crop improvement by German botanist
Joseph Koerauter in 1760. Mendel onward, the hybridization had become the key method of crop
improvement. Today, it is the most common method of crop improvement, and the vast majority
of crop varieties have resulted from hybridization.

Objectives of Hybridization:
I. To artificially create a variable population for the selection of types with desired combination
of characters.

II. To combine the desired characters into a single individual, and

III. To exploit and utilize the hybrid varieties.

Types of Hybridization:
Hybridization may be of following types:
(i) Intra-varietal hybridization:
The crosses are made between the plants of the same variety.

(ii) Inter-varietal or Intraspecific hybridization:


The crosses are made between the plants belonging to two different varieties.

(iv) Interspecific hybridization or intragenric hybridization:


The crosses are made between two different species of the same genus.

(v) Introgressive hybridization:


Transfer of some genes from one species into the genome of the other species is known as
introgressive hybridization. The crosses between different species of the same genus or different
genera of the same family are also known as distant hybridization or wide crossing. Such crosses
are called distant crosses.

Procedure of Hybridization:
It involves the following steps:
(i) Selection of parents.

(ii) Selfing of parents or artificial self-pollination.

(iii) Emasculation.

(iv) Bagging

(v) Tagging

vi) Crossing

(vii) Harvesting and storing the F, seeds

(viii) Raising the F1 generation.


(i) Selection of parents:

The selection of parents depends upon the aims and objectives of breeding. Parental plants must
be selected from the local areas and are supposed to be the best suited to the existing conditions.

(ii) Selfing of parents or artificial self-pollination:


It is essential for inducing homozygosity for eliminating the undesirable characters and obtaining
inbreeds.

(iii) Emasculation:
It is the third step in hybridization. Inbreeds are grown under normal conditions and are
emasculated. Emasculation is the removal of stamens from female parent before they burst and
shed their pollens.
It can be defined as the removal of stamens or anthers or the killing of the pollen grains of a
flower without affecting in any way the female reproductive organs. Emasculation is not
required in unisexual plants but it is essential in bisexual or self-pollinated plants.

Various methods used for emasculation are:


(a) Hand Emasculation or Forceps or Scissor Method:
This method is generally used in those plants which have large flowers. In this method the
corolla of the selected flowers is opened and the anthers carefully removed with the help of fine-
tip forceps.

Following are the important precautions while performing this method:


i. Flowers should be selected at proper stage.

ii. Stigma should be receptive and anthers should not have dehisced

iii. All the anthers should be removed from the flowers without breaking (Fig. 6).

iv. Stigma and ovary of the flower should not be damaged.

(b) Hot Water Treatment:


Removal of stamens with the help of forceps is very difficult in minute flowers. In such small
hermaphrodite flowers (e.g., Bajra, Jowar) emasculation is done by dipping the flowers in hot
water for a certain duration (1-10 minutes) of time.
The time varies from species to species. This method Is based on the fact that gynoecia can
withstand the hot temperature at which the anthers are killed. In this method an equipment is
used which is placed on a simple heavy stand.

It consists of a cylindrical metallic container of 60 cm length, with one hole of 5 cm to 16 cm


diameter on one end to pass over a bajra or jowar head. After inserting the panicle inside the
container a cork is fitted in the hole to close it.

A 35 cm long rubber tube or belt is stretched over the side of the container, and when in use this
tube is tied around the peduncle of the head. To measure the temperature, in the upper side of the
container a thermometer is placed. In the field water is carried in a thermos jug (Fig. 7).

The panicle is inserted in the container prior to blooming for a particular duration of time. It has
been observed that pollen grains of rice are killed by immersing the inflorescence for 5 to 10
minutes in the hot water maintained at 40-44°C in a thermos flask.

(c) Cold Water Treatment:


Like hot water cold water also kills pollen grains without damaging the gynoecium. In rice 0-6°C
temperature is maintained to kill the pollen grains. This method is less effective than hot water
treatment.

(d) Alcohol Treatment Method:


This method is not commonly used for emasculation because duration of treatment is an
important factor since a very short duration is required failing which even the gynoecium may be
damaged. Flowers or inflorescences are immersed in alcohol of a suitable concentration for a
brief period. In alfa-alfa, a treatment of even 10 seconds with 57 % alcohol is sufficient to kill
the pollen grains.

(e) Suction Method:


It is a mechanical method and is suitable for the crops having minute flowers. In this method the
amount of pressure is applied in such a way that only anthers are sucked out and other parts of
the flower like gynoecium remain intact. However, in this method 10-15% self pollination takes
place. It is one of the major drawback of this method.

(f) Male Sterility or Self-incompatibility Method:


Emasculation option can be eliminated by the use of male-sterile plants, In some self-pollinated
plants for example, Sorghum, Onion, Barley etc. anthers are sterile and do not produce any
viable pollens! Similarly self-incompatibility may also be used to avoid emasculation.

(g) Chemical Gametocides:


Certain chemicals are capable of causing male sterility, when sprayed before flowering e.g., 2, 4-
D, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), maleic-hydrazide (MA), tribenzoic acid etc. FW450 in cotton
may be used for bringing about emasculation.

(iv) Bagging:
It is the fourth step and completed with emasculation. The emasculated flower or inflorescence is
immediately bagged to avoid pollination by any foreign pollen. The bags may be made of paper,
butter paper, glassine or fine cloth. Butter paper or vegetable parchment bags are most
commonly used.

The bags are tied to the base of the inflorescence or to the stalk of the flower with the help of
thread, wire or pins. The bagging is done with the emasculation in bisexual plants and before the
stigma receptivity and dehiscence of the anthers in unisexual plants. Both male and female
flowers are bagged separately to prevent contamination in male flowers and cross-pollination in
female flowers (Fig. 8).

(v) Tagging:
The emasculated flowers are tagged just after bagging. Generally circular tags of about 3 cm or
rectangular tags of about 3 x 2 cm are used. The tags are attached to the base of flower or
inflorescence with the help of thread.

The information on tag must be as brief as possible but complete bearing the following
information:
(i) Number referring to the field record

(ii) Date of emasculation

(iii) Date of crossing

(iv) Name of the female parent is written first followed by a cross sign

(x) and then the male parent, e.g., C x D denotes that C is the female parent and D is the male
parent.

(vi) Crossing:
It is the sixth step. It can be defined as the artificial cross-pollination between the genetically
unlike plants. In this method mature, fertile and viable pollens from the male parent are placed
on the receptive stigma of emasculated flowers to bring about fertilization.

Pollen grains are collected in petridishs (e.g., Wheat, cotton etc.) or in paper bags {e.g., maize)
and applied to the receptive stigmas with the help of a camel hair brush, piece of paper, tooth
pick or forceps. In some crops (e.g., Jowar, Bajra) the inflorescences of both the parents are
enclosed in the same bag.

(vii) Harvesting and Storing the F1 Seeds:


Crossed heads or pods of desirable plants are harvested and after complete drying they are
threshed. Seeds are stored properly with original tags.

(viii) Raising the F1 generation:


In the coming season, the stored seeds are sown separately to raise the F1 generation. The plants
of F1 generation are progenies of cross seeds and therefore are hybrids.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy