Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding

Kiesselbach, T.A. 1999. The structure and reproduction of
corn, 50th anniversary edition. Cold Spring Harbor Press,
New York.
Kindinger, B., D. Bai, and V. Sokolov. 1996. Assignment of
a gene(s) conferring apomixis in Tripsacum to a chromosome
arm: Cytological and molecular evidence. Genome
39:1133–1141.
Koltunow, A.M. 1993. Apomixis: Embryo sacs and embryos
formed without meiosis or fertilization in ovules. Plant Cell
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Part A
Please answer the following questions true or false:
PLANT REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS 73
Outcomes assessment
1 Biennial plants complete their life cycle in two growing seasons.
2 A staminate flower is a complete flower.
3 Self-pollination promotes heterozygosity of the sporophyte.
4 The union of egg and sperm is called fertilization.
5 A branched raceme is called a panicle.
6 The carpel is also called the androecium.
Part B
Please answer the following questions:
Simpson, G.G., A.R. Gendall, and C. Dean. 1999. When to
switch to flowering. Ann. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 99:519–
550.
Stace, C.A. 1989. Plant taxonomy and biosystematics, 2nd
edn. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, New York.
Stern, K.R. 1997. Introductory plant biology, 7th edn. Wm.
C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA.
Uribelarrea, M., J. Carcova, M.E. Otegui, and M.E. Westgate.
2002. Pollen production, pollination dynamics, and kernel
set in maize. Crop Sci. 42:1910–1918.
1 Plants reproduce by one of two modes, …………………….. or ………………… .
2 Distinguish between monoecy and dioecy.
3 …………………… is the transfer of pollen grain from the anther to the stigma of a flower.
4 What is self-incompatibility?
5 Distinguish between heteromorphic self-incompatibility and homomorphic self-incompatibility.
6 What is apomixis?
7 Distinguish between apospory and diplospory as mechanisms of apomixes.
Part C
Please write a brief essay on each of the following topics:
1 Discuss the genetic and breeding implications of self-pollination.
2 Discuss the genetic and breeding implications of cross-pollination.
3 Fertilization does not always follow pollination. Explain.
4 Discuss the constraints of sexual biology in plant breeding.
5 Discuss how cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is used in a breeding program.
6 Discuss how genetic male sterility is used in a breeding program.