Plant Genetics and Breeding Flashcards
6 cards from real Agronomy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Plant Genetics and Breeding flashcards as text
Which US federal act regulates the production and sale of certified seed to ensure variety purity?
Answer: Plant Variety Protection Act
The Plant Variety Protection Act provides intellectual property protection for new, distinct, uniform, and stable plant varieties and encourages plant breeding.
What is CRISPR-Cas9 used for in modern plant breeding?
Answer: Precise editing of specific DNA sequences in plant genomes
CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing tool that allows breeders to make precise, targeted changes to specific locations in a plant's DNA.
What is the doubled haploid (DH) technique used for in corn breeding?
Answer: Rapidly producing homozygous inbred lines in one to two seasons
The DH technique colchicine-doubles haploid plants derived from pollen or unfertilized eggs to create fully homozygous inbred lines in just one or two generations.
Roundup Ready crops were engineered to be tolerant to which herbicide?
Answer: Glyphosate
Roundup Ready crops contain a modified EPSPS gene that confers tolerance to glyphosate (Roundup), allowing herbicide application over the top of crops.
What is 'combining ability' in hybrid crop breeding?
Answer: A measure of how well inbred lines perform in hybrid combinations
Combining ability refers to how well an inbred line performs when crossed with other lines, with GCA being average performance and SCA being specific cross performance.
Which inheritance pattern involves two genes that independently affect the same trait?
Answer: Epistasis
Epistasis occurs when one gene masks or modifies the expression of another gene affecting the same trait, altering expected Mendelian ratios.