Question

Explain the advantage of cross breeding two species of sugarcane in India.

Answer 1

Plant breeding is the manipulation of plant species in order to create the desired variety of plants which are better suited for cultivation, disease resistant, and give better yields. Cross-breeding of two species allows the desirable qualities of two breeds to be combined.

Complete answer:
India is dependent on agriculture. After independence, one of the main challenges faced by our country was that of producing enough food for the increasing population. As a result of various plant breeding techniques, development of several high yielding varieties of rice and wheat in the mid-1960s, led to dramatic increase in food production in our country. This phase is often referred to as the Green Revolution.
Classical plant breeding involves hybridization or crossing or of pure lines, followed by artificial selection to produce higher yield of plants with resistance to diseases, desirable traits and nutrition. Plant breeding programs are carried out in a systematic way in commercial companies and government institutions.
Sugar cane or Saccharum barberi was originally grown in north India, but had poor yield and sugar content. Tropical canes or Saccharum officinarum grown in south India had higher sugar content and thicker stems but did not grow well in north India. These two species were successfully crossed to get varieties of sugarcane. Cross-breeding allows the desirable qualities of two different breeds to be combined. By crossing the sugar cane varieties, desirable qualities like high sugar, thick stems, high yield and ability to grow in the sugar cane areas of north India are combined.

Note: The steps in breeding a new variety of a crop are:
-Collection of variability
-Evaluation and selection of the parents
-Cross hybridization among the selected parents
-Selection and then testing of superior recombinants
-Testing, release and commercialization of new cultivars