Classical and

Modern
Breeding
Techniques
General Biology 21/2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Being an agricultural country, the Philippines highly relies
on the cultivation of various crops to address its economic
and food security concerns.

2
Animals or livestock are also at the forefront of breeding as
they significantly contribute to the agricultural
productivity of the country.

3
Breeding methods have been employed by our ancestors, such as the
repeated selective breeding of corn from the wild grass teosinte with
relatively small and harder kernels.

4
Learning Competency
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

Outline the processes involved in

genetic engineering (STEM_BIO11/12-
III-a-b-6).

5
 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Discuss the historical progress of plant and animal

breeding.

● Determine the objectives of plant and animal

breeding.

● Discuss the techniques involved in classical and

modern plant and animal breeding.
6
 Introduction to Breeding

Have you tried

gardening in
school as a kid?
Are you
mindful of the
traits of the
parent plants?
7
 Introduction to Breeding

Breeding is the controlled process of subjecting two

parent organisms to sexual reproduction to produce
offspring. 8
 Objectives of Plant Breeding
Stress resistance
Increased yield of
(salinity, drought,
vegetative parts and
frost)
grains

Diseases resistance
Improved (bacterial, viral,
processing quality fungal)

Improved nutrient Pest/Insect

quantity resistance

9
 Objectives of Animal Breeding
Increased milk Improvement in meat
production quantity and quality

Increased egg Improved resistance

production against diseases

Improved docility or Good mothering

less aggression ability

Improved docility or Increased wool

less aggression production
10
Captive Breeding
Crocodylus mindorensis
(Philippine crocodile)
● It is a critically endangered
species of freshwater crocodile
that was once believed to have
been extinct.

● A captive breeding facility for C.

mindorensis was established at the
Silliman University of Negros
Oriental. 11
 Captive Breeding
Pithecophaga jefferyi
(Philippine eagle)
● It is a critically endangered
species of eagle that is
threatened due to continuous
habitat loss.

● A captive breeding facility for

P. jefferyi, the Philippine Eagle
Center, was established at
Davao City. 12
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding
9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

First (archeological) evidence of crop
1960s: Norman Borlaug
domestication was found at Tigris River.
13
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding
9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

1960s: Norman Borlaug Camerarius proposed that new plant

types can be produced from 14
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding

9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

Sweet William

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company Carnation

Fairchild conducted the first reported
1960s: Norman Borlaug hybridization
(between sweet William and carnation). 15
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding

9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

1960s: Norman Borlaug Koelreuter of Germany produced the

first hybrid tobacco. 16
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding

9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

1960s: Norman Borlaug Mendel laid foundation to heredity of traits

through his garden pea hybridization. 17
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding
9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

1960s: Norman Borlaug Pioneer Hi-Bred Corn Company became

the first seed company in the world. 18
 Historical Progress of Plant Breeding
9 000 BC: Tigris River

1694: Rudolph Camerarius

1719: Thomas Fairchild

1766: Joseph Koelreuter

1866: Gregor Mendel

1926: Pioneer Company

During the Green Revolution, Borlaug
1960s: Norman Borlaug introduced cultivation practices that
boosted global production. 19
 Historical Progress of Animal Breeding

1760s: Robert Bakewell

1910: Thomas Hunt Morgan

1918: Ronald Fisher

1937: Jay Lush

Sir Robert Bakewell introduced the

1840s: Lanoy Nelson Hazel
method of introducing records of the
“performance” of livestock. 20
 Historical Progress of Animal Breeding

1760s: Robert Bakewell

1910: Thomas Hunt Morgan

1918: Ronald Fisher

1937: Jay Lush

Morgan received a Nobel Prize for his work

1840s: Lanoy Nelson Hazel
related to the breeding of fruit flies (Drosophila)
for genetic studies. 21
 Historical Progress of Animal Breeding

1760s: Robert Bakewell

1910: Thomas Hunt Morgan

1918: Ronald Fisher

1937: Jay Lush

Fisher, the father of Statistics, applied

1840s: Lanoy Nelson Hazel
statistical methods in the breeding of mouse
and livestock. 22
 Historical Progress of Animal Breeding

1760s: Robert Bakewell

1910: Thomas Hunt Morgan

1918: Ronald Fisher

1937: Jay Lush

1840s: Lanoy Nelson Hazel

Lush proposed the use of genetic data in
breeding rather than subjective evaluation
of animal appearance. 23
 Historical Progress of Animal Breeding

1760s: Robert Bakewell disease resistance meat quality

1910: Thomas Hunt Morgan

1918: Ronald Fisher

1937: Jay Lush milk production

Hazel proposed the selection index theory

1840s: Lanoy Nelson Hazel
where multiple traits of an animal must be
considered for selection. 24
Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Selective
Breeding
Classical Plant
Breeding
Techniques

Crossbreeding

25
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

Selection of Selection of Mixing their Field trials to Releasing of

an initial desirable seeds to test whether the new
population traits from cultivate fit to the variety of
of open initial next environment crop
pollinating population generation
crops
26
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

2
27
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

4
28
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

Mass selection can be applied to the breeding of alfalfa and corn crops.
29
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

Select an Select Allow Grow Perform field

initial desirable pollination progeny trials for the
population traits from in these separately selected
of open initial selected and perform crops.
pollinating population. crops. selection
crops. among them.
30
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

2
31
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

3
4
32
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

6
33
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

Pure-line selection can be employed in the breeding of wheat and rice crops.
34
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

Select an Acquire Propagate Determine Perform

initial vegetative the which of the further
population structures vegetative clones will vegetative
of crops. or organs. structures have propagation
asexually. superior of superior
traits. clones.
35
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Mass Selection Pure-line Selection Clonal Selection

Navel oranges and delicious apples are further improved through clonal selection.
36
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Crossbreeding or Hybridization

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

Identify two Assign sex Emasculate Obtain pollen Cover the

different to each of the from the female plant
crops with the parent designated other plant with
superior plants. female and polyethylene
traits. parent introduce it plastic.
plant. to the female.
37
Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Crossbreeding or Hybridization
Crossbreeding
involves the
removal of
stamens of one
parent plant to
prevent self-
pollination.
38
 Classical Plant Breeding Methods

Crossbreeding or Hybridization

Some examples of improved crossbred plants include corn, sunflower,

and cauliflower.
39
Remember

To easily remember the procedures

performed in each of the classical plant
breeding methods, you must first carefully
understand the objectives of each.

40
Remember

Pure-line selection aims to establish a

breed that is homozygous for particular
traits; thus, self-pollination is most
applicable.

41
Remember

Mass selection aims to improve the

qualities of a crop by selecting good-
quality offspring every generation and
allowing them to open pollinate (both
self-pollination and cross-pollination are
allowed).

42
Remember

Clonal selection is applicable for good-

quality hybrids that usually cannot
reproduce (e.g., seedless); thus, only the
vegetative or asexual reproduction of the
plant is harnessed.

43
Remember

Crossbreeding aims to combine two

superior traits from different breeds or
species of plants. Sometimes, it also
results in eliminating the inferior traits
present in the parent plants. This process
involves the emasculation of one of the
parent plants.
44
Remember

The pure-line breeding of rice results in inbreeding

which may compromise the adaptability of the crop.
45
 Classical Animal Breeding Methods

Inbreeding

Classical Animal
Breeding
Techniques

Crossbreeding

46
Classical Animal Breeding
Methods
Inbreeding
Accumulation of superior
traits
Mating a superior male or
Reinforcing of a trait to a
female with the opposite
group or herd of animals
sex
Allowing superior male and Mating between a superior
female offspring to mate individual and its offspring

Mating between related

individuals
47
Classical Animal Breeding Methods

Inbreeding
A superior
female cattle
that produces
high amounts of
milk can be
mated to her
sons during
inbreeding.
48
 Classical Animal Breeding Methods

Crossbreeding
Individuals from two
different breeds are bred
together.

Desirable traits from

different breeds of animals Two individuals must be
are combined. reproductively compatible.
49
 Classical Animal Breeding Methods

Crossbreeding

A B C
The cross between two different breeds of horses, the American Saddlebred
horse (A) and Arabian horse (B), produces the top-quality National Show
horse breed for equestrian purposes.
50
 Modern Breeding Methods

Somatic
Hybridization
Mutation
Modern Breeding Breeding
Techniques
Artificial Reproductive
Technologies

Genetic
Engineering
51
 Modern Breeding Methods

Modern Somatic Hybridization

Breeding
Technique Mutation Breeding
s
Artificial Reproductive Technologies

Genetic Engineering
52
 Modern Breeding Methods
Somatic
Hybridization

Modern Mutation
Breeding
Breeding
Techniques Artificial
Reproductive
Technologies

Genetic
Engineering

Protoplasts from two different plants

with desirable traits are fused.
53
 Modern Breeding Methods
Somatic
Hybridization

Modern Mutation
Breeding
Breeding
Techniques Artificial
Reproductive
Technologies

Genetic
Engineering

Crops, such as soybeans, are induced to

mutate (e.g., exposure to gamma
radiation). 54
 Modern Breeding Methods
Somatic
Hybridization

Modern Mutation
Breeding
Breeding
Techniques Artificial
Reproductive
Technologies

Genetic
Engineering

Some female cattle are artificially

inseminated by using semen collected from
superior bulls. 55
 Modern Breeding Methods
Somatic
Hybridization

Modern Mutation
Breeding
Breeding
Techniques Artificial
Reproductive
Technologies

Genetic
Engineering

Genetic engineering transcends classical

breeding techniques and allows
introduction of genes from a totally
different organism. 56
 Check Your Understanding
ACTIVITY 1: Determine the accuracy of each of the following statements. Write true if the statement is
correct and false if otherwise.
______1. One of the objectives of breeding is to improve the traits of plants and animals that are
agriculturally important.
______2. Belgian blue cattle, an important beef cattle, is a subject of captive breeding.
______3. Crops are domesticated from their wild counterparts to satisfy the need of humans such as
improved taste and nutrient content.
______4. The archeological evidence of the first crop domestication originated from the Nile River
civilization.
______5. The selection index theory of Thomas Hunt Morgan was based on the work of Jay Lush, the
father of animal breeding.
______6. Clonal selection does not involve pollination among the crops that are subjects of breeding.
______7. Mass selection is more likely to produce homozygous individuals than pure line selection.
______8. The Green Revolution is a period when there was a global increase in productivity due to
improved cultivation techniques and the introduction of pesticides.
______9. First successful hybridization between Sweet William & carnation produced fertile offspring.
______10. One of the objectives of plant breeding is to produce crops with improved shelf-life, i.e., it may
be as short as possible. 57
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● The practice of breeding plants and animals not only

aims to produce a sufficient number of offspring for
several generations but to also improve the traits of
the organism being bred.

● Plant breeding, being a major aspect of agriculture,

aims to produce the quality and quantity of crops to
address certain issues such as global food security
concerns. 58
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Animal breeding, likewise, aims to improve

livestock so that they produce better quality and
quantity of animal products such as meat, eggs, wool,
and dairy.

● Breeding methods are applied for the conservation

of animals with threatened status.
59
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● The earliest forms of plant and animal

breeding involve the practice of
domestication where wild organisms are
bred to produce traits that will benefit
humans.
60
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Plant breeding methods involve mass selection,

pure-line selection, clonal selection, and
crossbreeding. These methods differ in terms of
their objectives, whether pollination is applied, the
type of pollination, and the parent plants involved.

61
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Animal breeding may involve inbreeding or

crossbreeding. These two methods differ in terms of
whether a new combination of superior traits is
produced in the offspring.

62
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Modern breeding methods are also practiced in both

plants and animals. This may involve the fusion of
cells (somatic hybridization), induced
mutagenesis (mutation breeding), artificial
reproductive technologies, and genetic
engineering.
63
 Let’s Sum It Up!

Classical and modern breeding techniques are all founded on the

fact that the DNA molecule stores and controls the expression of
the genetic information. 64
Photo Credits

● Slide 2: Open Durian Davao by Burgermac is licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.

● Slide 2: Cavendish (Panabo City, Davao Oriental) by Shubert Ciencia is licensed under CC BY 2.0
via Flickr.

● Slide 3: Kleomarlo, Philippine cattle calf2, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 3: Poultry Classes Blog photo - Flickr - USDAgov by U.S. Department of Agriculture is
licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 4: Teosinte by (Photo courtesy of John Doebley.) is licensed under CC BY 2.5 via
Wikimedia Commons.

65
Photo Credits

● Slide 8: JfVizalSanPablo6106CandabaPpfvf 14 by Judgefloro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via

Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 12: Crocodylus mindorensis by Gregg Yan 01 by Gregg Yan is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 13: Philippine Eagle Spread Wings by Paul Pajo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 14: Tigris River At Diyarbakir by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 16: Pink Sweet William by শক্তিশেল is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 19: Pioneer maize PR39F58 by werktuigendagen is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.

66
Photo Credits

● Slide 22: Drosophila melanogaster Proboscis by Sanjay Acharya is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 23: रोनाड् by Madhura.u is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 23: Mouse litter by No machine-readable author provided. Hippocampus~commonswiki

assumed (based on copyright claims) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 51: Melkkarussell by Gunnar Richter Namenlos.net is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 50: National Show Horse by Just chaos is licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia
Commons.

● Slide 55: Font Awesome 5 solid syringe by Font Awesome Free 5.2.0 by @fontawesome -
https://fontawesome.com is licensed under CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

67
Photo Credits

● Slide 58: CSIRO ScienceImage 3273 Soybeans by CSIRO is licensed under CC BY 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons.

● Slide 59: Inseminatie (4494727256) by Sander van der Wel from Netherlands is licensed under
CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

68
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