Agricultural Botany and Crop Improvement - One Line Questions

1. What is the 'bulk method' of breeding? — A method where a large population of F2 or later generation seeds is grown together without selection until desired traits appear
2. The process of developing a new variety by crossing two or more parents with desirable traits and then selecting the best offspring is known as: — Pedigree selection
3. What is the process by which plants are genetically modified to tolerate herbicides? — Herbicide tolerance breeding
4. What is hybridization in the context of crop improvement? — Crossing plants of different species or genera
5. What is the primary role of the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in agricultural botany? — Improving dryland crops like sorghum, pearl millet, and groundnut for food security in semi-arid regions
6. Biotic stress tolerance in crops refers to resistance against: — Pests and diseases
7. What is the term for the process of improving crops to withstand extreme temperatures (both heat and cold)? — Abiotic stress tolerance
8. Which branch of botany specifically deals with the study of plants in relation to agriculture and their improvement for human use? — Agricultural Botany
9. Haploid plants produced through anther culture can be doubled to produce homozygous diploid lines quickly. This technique is called: — Chromosome doubling
10. Genetically modified (GM) crops can be engineered to produce their own insecticide, such as through the introduction of genes from which bacterium? — Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
11. What is the main challenge in interspecific and intergeneric hybridization? — There is often genetic incompatibility between species or genera, leading to sterile hybrids or failure to cross.
12. In plant breeding, what is the term for the process of transferring a specific gene from one plant variety to another? — Backcrossing
13. Which of the following is a traditional method of crop improvement involving the selection of plants with superior traits and allowing them to reproduce? — Mass selection
14. The 'pedigree method' in plant breeding involves: — Selecting and individually evaluating progeny from selected parent plants
15. The development of hybrid seeds often relies on exploiting which genetic phenomenon? — Heterosis (hybrid vigor)
16. Crop varieties developed for improved nutritional content are often referred to as: — Biofortified crops
17. Which of the following is a genetic factor that breeders aim to improve for increased yield in cereal crops? — Higher harvest index (ratio of grain weight to total plant weight)
18. Which of the following is NOT a goal of agricultural botany and crop improvement? — Developing new species of wild plants
19. Tissue culture techniques, such as anther culture and embryo culture, are valuable tools in crop improvement for: — Producing haploid plants and accelerating breeding cycles
20. The development of crops that can thrive in marginal lands (e.g., saline, arid) is a key aspect of: — Sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation
21. The process of combining genes from different species or genera into a single organism is known as: — Interspecific hybridization
22. What is the significance of photoperiod sensitivity in crop improvement? — It determines the timing of flowering and maturity based on day length, allowing adaptation to different latitudes.
23. What is the primary advantage of using Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS)? — It allows for indirect selection of genes, speeding up the breeding process.
24. Which of the following is a challenge in developing hybrid seeds for crops that are naturally self-pollinating? — All of the above
25. Which breeding strategy is employed when a breeder wants to introduce a single desirable gene from a donor parent into an otherwise elite recurrent parent? — Backcrossing
26. What is the term for the process of selecting plants based on their genetic makeup rather than just their observable traits? — Genotypic selection
27. CRISPR-Cas9 technology is a revolutionary tool in gene editing, which can be used for crop improvement by: — Precisely modifying specific DNA sequences
28. What is the genetic basis for improved yield in many hybrid varieties? — Overdominance and epistasis (components of heterosis)
29. Which breeding method involves crossing a desirable plant with its wild relative and then repeatedly backcrossing it with the desirable plant? — Backcrossing
30. What is the main advantage of heterosis or hybrid vigor in crop production? — Increased yield, vigor, and uniformity
31. The creation of gene banks or germplasm collections is crucial for: — Preserving genetic resources for future breeding programs and conservation
32. Protoplast fusion is a technique used in crop improvement to combine cells from different plant varieties or species. What is a key step in this process? — Removing the cell wall to obtain protoplasts
33. Which of the following crops is a well-known example of a polyploid developed through crop improvement? — Wheat (e.g., Triticum aestivum)
34. Mutation breeding utilizes which of the following to induce genetic variations? — Mutagenic agents (physical or chemical)
35. What is apomixis in the context of crop improvement? — Asexual reproduction that mimics sexual reproduction, producing seeds without fertilization
36. Accelerated breeding programs aim to: — Reduce the time required to develop new crop varieties
37. What is the role of cytogenetics in crop improvement? — Analyzing chromosome structure and behavior to understand inheritance and develop breeding strategies
38. What is polyploidy in crop improvement? — The presence of more than two sets of chromosomes
39. What does the term 'germplasm' refer to in the context of crop improvement? — The genetic material (seeds, tissues) of plants, particularly those with desirable traits
40. Which of the following is a key objective of developing disease-resistant crop varieties? — To reduce the need for pesticides and prevent crop loss
41. What is the primary goal of crop improvement? — To enhance desirable traits in crops for better yield and quality
42. What is the primary benefit of developing drought-tolerant crop varieties? — To enable crop cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions with limited water
43. What is the primary purpose of introducing 'male sterility' in hybrid seed production? — To prevent self-pollination and facilitate cross-pollination
44. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a modern crop improvement technique that uses: — DNA markers linked to desirable genes
45. Golden Rice, a genetically modified crop, was developed to address deficiency in which vitamin? — Vitamin A
46. Crop improvement programs often aim to enhance salinity tolerance to allow crops to grow in: — Soils with high salt concentrations
47. Which of the following is an example of a crop that has undergone significant improvement for yield through hybridization and selection? — Modern maize (corn)
48. The development of crops with reduced shattering (seed dispersal) is important for: — Preventing yield loss during harvest and improving ease of cultivation
49. Which type of breeding aims to improve the quality of food products derived from crops, such as increased oil content or improved protein profiles? — Quality breeding
All One Line Questions
E-Book Agricultural Botany and Crop Improvement Online Test Agricultural Botany and Crop Improvement Question Bank Agricultural Botany and Crop Improvement