Principles of Crop Improvement

In the selfing of cross-pollinated species, it is essential that the flower are bagged or otherwise protected to prevent natural cross-pollination. Selfing and crossing are essential in crop breeding. It is important that the breeder, master these techniques in order to manipulate the pollination according to his needs. The exact procedure that he may use to ensure self or cross pollination of specific plants will depend on the particular species with which he is working. The structure of the flowers in the species determine manner of pollination. For these reasons, the breeder should acquaint himself with the flowering habit of the crop. In the case of wheat, rice, barely, groundnut etc., the plant is permitted to have self pollination and the seeds are harvested. The book would be useful to the students and scientists working in the areas of agricultural research, and would provide current knowledge of diverse research areas through the reviews written by subject experts.