76 - Deterioration of Variety

Deterioration causes of crop varieties and
their control; Maintenance of Genetic Purity

during seed Production
Introduction
The main aim of seed production is to produce genetically
pure and good quality seed.
Variety: Is a group of plants having clear distinguished

characters which when reproduced either sexually or
asexually retains these characters
Factors responsible for loss of genetic purity
(kadam ., 1942)
❖ Developmental Variation ❖ Selective influence of Diseases

❖ Mechanical Mixtures ❖ Techniques of the Breeder
❖ Mutations ❖ Breakdown of male sterility
❖ Natural Crossing ❖ Improper / defective seed

certification System
❖ Genetic drift
❖ Minor Genetic Variation

Developmental Variation
Seed crop is grown in difficult environmental conditions For
several consecutive generations the developmental variations may
arise as differential growth response.
To avoid or minimize such developmental variations the

variety should always be grown in adaptable area.
2. Mechanical Mixtures
a. Contamination through field self sown seed or volunteer
plants
b. Seed drill if same seed drill is used for sowing 2 or 3
varieties
c. Carrying 2 different varieties adjacent to each other.
d. Growing 2 different varieties adjacent to each other.
e. Threshing floor
f. Combine or threshers
g. Bags or seed bins
h. During seed processing
it would be necessary to rogue the seed fields at different

stages of crop growth
Mutations
It is not of much importance as the occurrence of
spontaneous mutations is very low i.e. 10-7.
If any visible mutations are observed they should

be removed by rouging.
Natural Crossing
• It is an important source of contamination in sexually propagated crops
due to introgression of genes from unrelated stocks/genotypes.
• The extent of contamination depends upon the amount of natural cross-
fertilization.
• Natural crossing is main source of contamination in cross-fertilized or
often cross-fertilized crops.
• The extent of genetic contamination depends on breeding system of

the species, isolation distance, varietal mass and pollinating agent.
To overcome the problem of natural crossing isolation distance has to be

maintained.
Genetic drift
When seed is multiplied in large areas only small quantities

of seed is taken and preserved for the next years sowing.
Because of such sub-sampling all the genotypes will not be

represented in the next generation and leads to change in genetic
composition. This is called as genetic drift.
Minor Genetic variation
❖ Some minor genetic changes may occur during production
cycles due to difference in environment.
❖ Due to these changes in the yields may be affected.
❖ To avoid such minor genetic variations periodic testing of the
varieties must be done from breeder’s seed and nucleus seed in
self-pollinated crops.
❖ minor genetic variation is a common feature in often cross-

pollinated species; therefore care should be taken during
maintenance of nucleus and breeder seed.
Selective influence of Disease
• In case of foliar diseases the size of the seed gets affected due to poor
supply of carbohydrates from infected photosynthetic tissue.
• In case of seed and soil borne diseases like downy mildew and ergot
of Jowar, smut of bajra and bunt of wheat, it is dangerous to use
seeds for commercial purpose once the crop gets infected.
• New crop varieties may often become susceptible to new races of

diseases and that leads to these varieties may become out of seed
production programs.
(Proper plant protection - major pests and diseases)

Techniques of the Breeder
• Instability may occur in a variety due to genetic irregularities
if it is not properly assessed at the time of release.
• Premature release of a variety, which has been breed for particular

disease, leads to the production of resistant and susceptible plants which
may be an important cause of deterioration.
– When sonalika and kalyan sona wheat varieties were released in
India for commercial cultivation the genetic variability in both the
varieties was
still in flowing stage and several secondary selections
were made by the breeders.
Breakdown of male sterility
Generally in hybrid seed production if there is any

breakdown of male sterility in may lead to a mixture of F1
hybrids.
Improper Seed Certification
It is not a factor that deteriorates the crops varieties, but if

there is any lacuna in any of the above factors and if it has
not been checked it may lead to deterioration of crop
varieties.
Maintenance of Genetic Purity during seed Production
Horne (1953) had suggested the following methods for
maintenance of genetic purity;
1. Use of approved seed in seed multiplication
2. Inspection of seed fields prior to planting
3. Field inspection and approval of the Crop at critical stages for

verification of genetic purity, detection of mixtures, weeds
and seed borne diseases.
4. Sampling and sealing of cleaned lots
5. Growing of samples with authentic stocks or Grow-out test

Steps suggested by Hartman and Kestar (1968)
for maintaining genetic purity
1. Providing isolation to prevent cross fertilization or
mechanical mixtures.
2. Rouging of seed fields prior to planting.
3. Periodic testing of varieties for genetic purity.
4. Grow in adapted areas only to avoid genetic shifts in the
variety.
5. Certification of seed crops to maintain genetic purity and
quality.
6. Adopting generation system.
Safe guards for maintenance of genetic purity
1. Control of seed source
2. Preceding crop requirement
3. Isolation
4. Rouging of seed fields
5. Seed certification
6. Grow out test

Control of Seed Source
❖ Appropriate class from the approved source for raising
a seed crop.
❖ There are four classes of seed from breeder seed, which
are given and defined by Association of Official Seed
Certification agency (AOSCA).
– Nucleus Seed:
– Breeder Seed :
– Foundation Seed:
– Certified seed
Scheme showing cultivar breeding ,
maintenance and multiplication in India
Breeding programme
National institutes/ SAU’s

Improved cultivar
Nucleus seed Maintenance Breeding

Sponsored/ producing
Breeder/ institute
Breeder seed
Foundation seed Multiplication

Seed producing agencies
Certified seed
Preceding Crop requirement
This has been fixed to avoid contamination

through volunteer plants and also the soil borne
diseases.
Isolation
• Isolation is required to avoid natural crossing with
other undesirable types, off types in the fields and

mechanical mixtures at the time of sowing, threshing,
processing and contamination due to seed borne diseases from
nearby fields.
• Protection from these sources of contamination is necessary for
maintaining genetic purity and good quality of seed.

Rouging of Seed Fields:
The existence of off type plants is another source of

genetic contamination. Off type plants differing in their
characteristics from that of the seed crop are called as off
types. Removal of off types is referred to as roughing
The main sources of off types
a. Segregation of plants for certain characters or mutations
b. Volunteer plants from previous crops or
c. Accidentally planted seeds of other variety
d. Diseased plants
Off type plants should be rouged out from the seed plots
before they shed pollen and pollination occurs. To
accomplish this regular supervision of trained personnel is
required.
Seed Certification
❖ The main objective of seed certification is to make available seeds
of good quality to farmers.
❖ To achieve this qualified and trained personnel from SCA carry out
field inspections at appropriate stages of crop growth.
❖ They also make seed inspection by drawing samples from seed lots
after processing.
❖ The SCA verifies for both filed and seed standards and the seed lot
must confirm to get approval as certified seed.
Grow-out Test
❖ Varieties that are grown for seed production should be periodically tested
for genetic purity by conducting GOT to make sure that they are being
maintained in true form.
❖ GOT test is compulsory for hybrids produced by manual emasculation and
pollination and for testing the purity of parental lines used in hybrid seed
production.
Thank you…

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Deterioration causes of crop varieties and

their control; Maintenance of Genetic Purity

Variety: Is a group of plants having clear distinguished

❖ Developmental Variation ❖ Selective influence of Diseases

❖ Mutations ❖ Breakdown of male sterility

❖ Natural Crossing ❖ Improper / defective seed

❖ Minor Genetic Variation

To avoid or minimize such developmental variations the

it would be necessary to rogue the seed fields at different

If any visible mutations are observed they should

• The extent of genetic contamination depends on breeding system of

To overcome the problem of natural crossing isolation distance has to be

When seed is multiplied in large areas only small quantities

Because of such sub-sampling all the genotypes will not be

❖ minor genetic variation is a common feature in often cross-

• New crop varieties may often become susceptible to new races of

(Proper plant protection - major pests and diseases)

• Premature release of a variety, which has been breed for particular

Generally in hybrid seed production if there is any

Improper Seed Certification

It is not a factor that deteriorates the crops varieties, but if

1. Use of approved seed in seed multiplication

2. Inspection of seed fields prior to planting

3. Field inspection and approval of the Crop at critical stages for

4. Sampling and sealing of cleaned lots

5. Growing of samples with authentic stocks or Grow-out test

1. Control of seed source

2. Preceding crop requirement

4. Rouging of seed fields

6. Grow out test

National institutes/ SAU’s

Nucleus seed Maintenance Breeding

Foundation seed Multiplication

This has been fixed to avoid contamination

other undesirable types, off types in the fields and

processing and contamination due to seed borne diseases from

• Protection from these sources of contamination is necessary for

maintaining genetic purity and good quality of seed.

The existence of off type plants is another source of

b. Volunteer plants from previous crops or

c. Accidentally planted seeds of other variety

maintained in true form.

❖ GOT test is compulsory for hybrids produced by manual emasculation and

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