ARS Mains Examination Previous Year Question Paper GPB - 2006

1. Discuss the multi-disciplinary approach of plant breeding. Plant breeding is now modern science. Prove it with suitable examples. Enumerate the land mark achievements of it, detailing its scope for crop improvement.

2. Give the parameters to identify apomictic plants. Describe the genetics of apomixes. Also discuss the scope of apomixis for gainful utilization in breeding of field crops.

3. Enlist the various centers of origin of cultivated plants citing few important examples of them, which originated there. Briefly describe the concept of centers of origin (primary and secondary). How is this concept helpful in plant breeding?

OR

Define gene pool. Enlist the various procedures involved in germ plasm collection. Also discuss the strategies of germplasm collection and conservative programme.

4. Discuss the various types of male sterility used in crop improvement. Also discuss the scope of two line system for hybrid seed production. Briefly describe the achievements citing some examples.

OR

5. How inbred lines are produced in self in compatibility system? How two locus system of incompatibility are helpful in producing hybrids? Describe the problems associated with self incompatibility in hybrid seed production.

5. Briefly describe the multiple factor hypothesis of polygenic inheritance. How did the findings of Nilson-Ehle show that the quantitative characters are inherited according to Mendelian inheritance?
OR
What are the various components of genetic variance/ how would you estimate the values of D and H components from the variance of different generations.

6. What is the effect of linkage relationship of genes at different loci on possible gene recombination that obtained through hybridization? How different genetic phenomena influence the planned hybridization?
OR
Discuss the significance of induced mutations in plant breeding. Give the advantages of tissue culture mutagenesis. What are the main limitations of using mutation breeding?

7. How haploids are produced in in vitro? Compare the double haploids with pure lines produced through conventional breeding methods. Why double haploids are not much helpful for production of inbred line in cross pollinated species?
OR
Enlist the causes of somaclonal variations. How somaclonal variations are induced and selections made? Discuss the significance of somaclonal variations in crop improvement.

8. What are the different intra-population improvement schemes? Discuss their comparative efficiencies in improving the population. What role these schemes have played in improvement of the cross pollinated crops?

9. Discuss the methods of breeding for disease resistance. Describe the backcross method of breeding if the disease is governed by a recessive gene.

10. Write short notes on any FIVE of the following:
(a) Augmented design
(b) Plant breeders right and variety protection
(c) QTLs
(d) RFLP
(e) Microsatellite markers