Crop Improvement
- Departments
- Crop Improvement
Department Details
Disciplines
- Plant Breeding and Genetics
- Biochemistry
- Seed science and technology
INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS
- Tissue culture unit
Plant Breeding and Genetics Laboratory
The Plant Breeding Laboratory is mainly focused to make the students self-efficient in doing the different crop improvement strategies in the fields like floral biology, emasculation, artificial pollination, and hybridization techniques. They are exposed to various staining techniques, fixative preparation, operation of different sophisticated microscopes, chromosomal studies through mitosis in onion root tips, meiosis in flower buds, special types of chromosomes, and numerical problems in genetics. An experiment unit on Randomized Block Design (RBD) is available to study genetic diversity in rice and the selection of parents for crop improvement programs
| Year | Course Code | Course Title |
| I | PBG 101 | Introduction to Agricultural Botany |
| II | PBG 201 | Fundamentals of Genetics |
| III | PBG 301 | Fundamentals of Plant Breeding |
| III | PBG 302 | Crop Improvement |
Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory
The tissue culture unit is encompassed by a Biotechnology Laboratory consisting of a media preparation room, aseptic transfer room, and culture growth room. Students are exposed to various aspects of tissue culture and different culture techniques practically. Students are taught the utilization of markers in the selection of plants as marker-assisted selection. In the experiential learning course, students were engaged in the production of virus-free plants using meristem, nodal, axillary bud and callus culture in commercial crops like rose, tapioca, banana and rice. Students also taught about the commercial feasibility of tissue culture techniques, and the use of tissue culture in industrial product development and marketing.
| Year | Course Code | Course Title |
| I | BIC 101 | Fundamentals of Plant Biochemistry |
| III | ABT 301 | Plant Biotechnology |
Crop Physiology Laboratory
In this laboratory, the students are trained for preparing different concentrations of solutions and identification of different nutritional deficiencies based on plant symptoms. This laboratory also provides practical knowledge on estimation methods of photosynthetic pigment, soluble protein, and proline estimation through spectrophotometer, and bioassay methods of auxin, gibberellins, and cytokinin. Apart from these, the students were also guided for measuring the different growth analysis parameters
| Year | Course Code | Course Title |
| II | CRP 101 | Fundamentals of Crop Physiology |
| III | CRP 351 | Physiological Techniques in Crop Production |
Seed Science & Technology Laboratory
In the seed science and technology laboratory, the role of seed testing in seed quality characters and commercial hybrid seed production aspects, as well as seed processing, seed testing like seed treating, hardening, germination, vigor, moisture, purity analysis, seed enhancement techniques, coating and storage purpose, is being taught. Training on the identification of genetic contamination in seed crops and also practicing fieldwork on crossing techniques in both field and horticultural crops are given in the practical classes. In addition, Hands on training for enhancing seed quality parameters.
| Year | Course Code | Course Title |
| II | SST 201 | Principles of Seed Technology |
| III | SST 351 | Seed Entrepreneurship Skill Development and Management |