PLANT IDEOTYPE

MANISHA KUMARI
FACULTY ASSOCIATE
USHA MARTIN UNIVERSITY
 DEFINITION
• Crop ideotype refers to model plants or ideal plant type for
a specific environment. In broad sense an ideotype is a
biological model which is expected to perform or behave in
a predictable manner within a defined environment.
• More specifically, crop ideotype is a plant model which is
expected to yield greater quantity of grains, fibre, oil or
other useful product when developed as a cultivar.
• The term ideotype was first proposed by Donald in 1968
working on wheat.
 TYPES OF CROP IDEOTYPE
1. Isolation ideotype – It is the model plant type that
performs best when the plants are space-planted. In case of
cereals, isolation ideotype is free tillering, spreading plant
that is able to explore the environment as fully as possible.
It is unlikely to perform well at crop densities.
2. Competition ideotype – This ideotype perform well in
genetically heterogeneous populations, such as the
segregating generations from crosses. In case of cereals,
competition ideotype is tall, leafy, free tillering plant that is
able to shade its less aggressive neighbours and thereby,
gain a larger share of radiation, nutrients and water.
3. Crop ideotype – The crop ideotype performs best at
commercial crop densities because it is a poor competitor.
It performs well when it is surrounded by plants of the
same form. But it performs less well when it is surrounded
by plants of other forms and also in isolation. In case of
cereals, a crop ideotype or commercial ideotype is erect,
sparsely tillered plant with small, erect leaves and is able
to survive in the highly competitive situation of being
surrounded by plants of the same form.
4. Market ideotype – It includes traits like seed colour, seed
size, cooking and baking quality etc. These trait determine
market acceptability of produce.
5. Climatic ideotype – It includes traits importance in climatic
adaptation such as heat and cold resistance, maturity
duration, drought resistance.
6. Edaphic ideotype – Trait importance in soil adaptation. It
includes salinity tolerance, mineral toxicity tolerance etc.
7. Stress ideotype – Trait resistance to both biotic and abiotic
stress.
8. Disease/Pest ideotype – It includes trait resistance to the
concerned disease and pest etc.
 FEATURES OF CROP IDEOTYPE
• The crop Ideotype consists of several morphological and
physiological traits which contribute for enhanced yield or
higher yield than currently prevalent crop cultivars. The
morphological and physiological features of crop Ideotype
is required for irrigated cultivation or rainfed cultivation.
Ideal plant whether the Ideotype is required for irrigated
cultivation or rainfed cultivation. Ideal plant types or model
plants have been discussed in several crops like wheat, rice,
maize, barley, cotton, and bean. The important features of
Ideotype for some crops are briefly described as following:
 WHEAT
The term ideotype was coined by Donald in 1968 working on wheat. He
proposed ideotype of wheat with following main features:
1. A short strong stem. It imparts lodging resistance and reduces the losses
due to lodging.
2. Erect leaves. Such leaves provide better arrangement for proper light
distribution resulting in high photosynthesis or CO2 fixation.
3. Few small leaves. Leaves are the important sites of photosynthesis,
respiration and transpiration. Few and small leaves reduce water loss due
to transpiration.
4. Larger ear. It will produce more grains per ear.
5. An erect ear. It will get light from all sides resulting in proper grain
development.
6. Presence of awns. Awns contribute towards photosynthesis.
7. A single culm.
 RICE
The concept of plant type was introduced in rice breeding
by Jennings in 1964, through the term ideotype was coined
by Donald in 1968. He suggested that in rice an ideal or
model plant type consists of
1. Semi dwarf stature
2. High tillering capacity
3. Short, erect, thick and highly angled leaves
4. More panicles /m2
5. High (55% ore more) harvest index.
Now emphasis is also given on physiological traits in the
development of rice ideotype.
 MAIZE
In 1975, Mock and Pearce proposed ideal plant type of
maize.
1. Stiff-vertically-oriented leaves above the ear.
2. Maximum photosynthetic efficiency.
3. Efficient translocation of photosynthate into grain.
4. Short interval between pollen shed and silk emergence.
5. Small tassel size.
6. Photoperiod insensitivity
7. Cold tolerance
8. Long Grain -filling period
 BARLEY
Rasmusson (1987) reviewed the work on ideotype
breeding and also suggested ideal plant type of six
rowed barley.
1. Short stature
2. Long awns
3. High harvest index
4. High biomass.
Kernel weight and kernel number were found
rewarding in increasing yield.
 COTTON
Ideotype for irrigated cultivation
1. Short stature (90-120 cm)
2. Compact and sympodial plant habit making pyramidal
shape
3. Determinate in fruiting habit with unimodal distribution of
bolling
4. Short duration (150-165 days)
5. Responsive to high fertilizer dose
6. High degree of inter plant competitive ability
7. High degree of resistance to insect pests and diseases
8. High physiological efficiency.
 Rainfed conditions (Singh and Narayanan 1993)
1. Earliness (150-165 days)
2. Fewer small and thick leaves
3. Compact and short stature, indeterminate habit
4. Sparse hairiness
5. Medium to big boll size
6. Synchronous bolling
7. High response to nutrients
8. Resistance to insects and diseases.
 SORGHUM AND PEARL MILLET
• Improvement in plant type has been achieved in Sorghum and Pearl millet through the use of
dwarfing genes. In these crop dwarf F1 hybrids have been developed which have made combine
harvesting possible.
• Genetic improvements have been achieved thorough modification of plant type in several crop
species. New Ideotype have been proposed for majority of crop plants. Swaminathan (1972) has
listed several desirable attributes of crop Ideotype with special reference to multiple cropping in
the tropics and sub tropics. These features include:
1. Superior population performance
2. High productivity per day
3. High photosynthetic ability
4. Low photo respiration
5. Photo and thermo sensitivity
6. High response to nutrients
7. High productivity per unit of water
8. Multiple resistances to insect and diseases
9. Better protein quantity and quality
10.Crop canopies that can retain and fix a maximum of CO 2
11.Suitability to mechanization.
 FACTORS AFFECTING IDEOTYPES
There are several factors which affect development of ideal plant type. These
are briefly discussed below:
1. Crop Species: Ideotype differs from crop to crop. The ideotype of
monocots significantly differs from those of dicots. In monocots, tillering
is more important whereas in dicots branching is one of the important
features of ideotype.
2. Cultivation: The ideotype also differs with regard to crop cultivation. The
features of irrigated crops differ from that of rainfed crop. The rainfed crop
needs drought resistance, fewer and smaller leaves to reduce water loss
through transpiration. In dicots, indeterminate types are required for
rainfed conditions, because indeterminate type can produce another flush
of flowers if the first flush in affected by drought conditions.
3. Socio -economic Condition of Farmers: Socio-economic condition of
farmers also determines crop ideotype. For example, dwarf Sorghum is
ideal for mechanical harvesting in USA, but it is not suitable for the
farmers of Africa where the stalks are used for fuel or hut constructions.
4. Economic Use: The ideotype also differ according to the
economic use of the crop, for example, dwarf types are
useful in Sorghum and pearl millet when the crop is grown
for grain purpose. But when these crops are grown for
fodder purpose, tall stature is desirable one. Moreover, less
leafy types are desirable for grain purpose and more leafy
genotypes for fodder purpose. The larger leaves are also
desirable in case of fodder crop.