what is bagging technique how is it useful in a plant breeding programme ?

 

  The bagging technique in plant breeding is a method used to control pollination and prevent unwanted cross-pollination. It involves covering the flower or plant with a protective bag or cloth to ensure that only the desired pollen is used to fertilize the flowers. Here’s how it works and its benefits:

How Bagging Technique Works:

1. Preparation: Before flowering begins, flowers or inflorescences (clusters of flowers) are covered with a protective bag made from materials such as paper, cloth, or mesh. This prevents pollen from other plants or sources from reaching the flowers.

2. Controlled Pollination: When the flower is ready for pollination, the bag is carefully removed, and the desired pollen (from a selected male plant) is introduced. After pollination, the flower is re-covered with the bag.

3. Post-Pollination: The bag remains in place until the seeds are mature and ready for harvest. This ensures that the seeds are the result of the controlled cross and not accidental cross-pollination.

Benefits of Bagging Technique:

1. Preventing Contamination: Bagging prevents pollen from other plants or sources from contaminating the cross, ensuring that the offspring will have the specific traits intended by the breeder.

2. Controlled Crosses: It allows breeders to control which plants cross-pollinate, facilitating the creation of specific hybrids or varieties with desired traits.

3. Increasing Purity: By reducing the risk of unintended cross-pollination, bagging helps maintain the genetic purity of the plant lines, which is crucial for research and commercial breeding.

4. Improving Seed Quality: With controlled pollination, the resulting seeds are more likely to have the intended genetic characteristics, which can lead to more consistent and predictable plant performance.

5. Reducing Pest and Disease Risks: The bagging can also protect flowers from pests and diseases during the crucial pollination period.

Overall, the bagging technique is a valuable tool in plant breeding programs for producing new plant varieties with specific and desirable traits, enhancing the precision and reliability of the breeding process.