Mass selection is an old method of crop improvement that involves selecting desirable individual plants from a mixed population based on phenotype, bulking their seeds to grow the next generation. It can be used for both self- and cross-pollinated species to increase the frequency of superior genotypes and purify mixed populations. Mass selection develops new varieties by improving the average performance of a population over multiple generations of selection and removal of undesirable plants. Varieties developed through mass selection are heterogeneous mixtures of genotypes that display wider adaptation and greater stability against environmental changes compared to pure line varieties.

1. WELCOME

2. MASS
SELECTION
Submitted to
Dr S.B.Sarode sir
Asso professor
Dept of plant breeding
Submitted by
Patil lalit pandurang
Reg no 2019A18MB
Dept of plant pathology

3.  Mass selection refers to a methods of crop
improvement in which individual plants are
selected on the basis of phenotype from a mixed
population, their seeds are bulked and used to
grow next generation.
 The oldest methods of crop improvement .
 Applicable to both self and cross pollinated
species.
Mass selection

4. 1. To increase the frequency of superior
genotypes from a genetically variable
population.
2. Purify a mixed population with differing
phenotypes .
3. Develop a new cultivar by improving the
average performance of the population.
Objective

5. 1. Genetic constitution :-
 Self pollinated crops:- A mass selected variety is homozygous but
heterogeneous because it is mixture of several pure line.
Cross pollinated crops:- variety is mixture of homozygous and
heterozygous and variety is heterogeneous.
2. Adaptation:-
Mass selected varieties have wide adaptation.
Varieties are more stable against environmental changes.
Heterogeneity provides better buffering capacity.
Mass selected varieties have broader genetic base.
 Adaptability is more in cross pollinated crops than in self pollinated
crops.
Main features

6. 3. Variation:-
 They are composed of several pure line in self pollinated crops and of several homo
and heterozygous genotypes in cross pollinated crops.
 There is heritable variation in the mass selected varieties.
 The heritable variation provides them good buffering capacity.
4. Selection:-
 Selection is effective due to presence of heritable variation.
5. Quality:-
 A variety developed by mass selection is less uniform in the quality of seed than
pure lines due to presence of heritable variation.
6. Resistance :-
 Mass selected varieties are less prone to the attack of new disease due to genetic
diversity.
 They are more resistance or tolerant to new disease.
7. Maintenance:-
 Periodic removal of off type plants is essential to maintain the yield of mass
selected varieties.

7. Used in both self and cross pollinated crops .
Self pollinated:
• Mass selection variety is a mixture of several pure
lines.
• Constitutes a homozygous but heterogeneous
population.
Cross pollinated:
• A mass selected variety is mixture of several
homozygote and heterozygote.
• Variety is a heterozygous and heterogeneous.
Genetic Basis

8.  Positive mass selection:
Desirable plants are selected from a mixed population.
Their seeds are mixed together to grow further generation.
This process is continued for several years.
Old varieties or land races are used as the base material.
Negative mass selection:
Only undesirable off types of plants are removed from the field and
rest are allowed to grow.
 Generally used for Varietal purification in seed production.
Helps in maintaining high level of genetic purity.
Types of mass selection

9.  Variability in base population.
 Mode of inheritance of characters to be
improved.
 Heritability of the characters.
 Oligogenic recessive characters than polygenic
characters.
The success of mass selection
depends on :

10. The local varieties are mixtures of several genotypes, which may
differ in flowering or maturity plant height, disease resistant etc.
Many of these plants type would be inferior and low yielding, such
plants will be eliminated through mass selection and local variety
would be improved without adversely affecting its adaptability and
stability.
Because the new variety would be made up of the most of the
superior plants type present in the original local variety.
1. Improvement of Desi or local variety
Application of mass selection

11. 2. Purification the existing pure line variety.
Pure lines tend to become variable with time due to
mechanical mixtures, natural hybridization,
mutation etc. therefore, it is necessary that the
purity of pure line varieties be maintained through
regular mass selection.
Mass selection is generally important and practised
in cross-pollinated crop and has the only limited
application in self pollinated crop.

12. Selection of base population.
Selection of desirable plants from the base
population.
Mixing their seeds to raise next generation.
Evaluation in field trials.
Releasing as a new variety.
Steps of Mass selection:-

13. PROCEDURE OF MASS
SELECTION

15. Good method for old and land races varieties.
Good for purification of improved variety.
More stable then pure lines due to heterogeneity.
Good protection again disease and pest.
Simple and quick method for improvement.
Applicable in self and cross pollinated species.
MERIT

16. The developed through mass selection so variation and are
not uniform as pure line variety.
 The improvement through mass selection is generally less
than that could be achieved through pure line selection.
In the absence of progeny test, it is not possible to
determine if the selected plant are homozygous.
Due to the popularity of pure line variety, mass selection is
not commonly use for improvement of self pollinated crop.
DEMERIT

17. Variety develop by mass selection are
more difficult to identified then pure line
variety in seed certification programmes.
Mass selection can not generated
variability.

18.  Bajra : Babapuri, Jamnagar giant, Pusa moti.
 Yellow Sarson : T-42, T-16. Brown Sarson : 17
dwarf, 17 medium, DS-1, DS-2.
Maize : T-14, 19, Jaunpuri.
Desi cotton : C-402, C-520.
American cotton : 100F, 216F
Castor : B-1, B-4.
ACHIEVEMENT

19. REFERENCE
PLANT BREEDING Principles and Methods B.D. Singh

20. THANK YOU