This document describes the ear to row method of plant breeding in cross-pollinated plants. The ear to row method involves selecting individual plants based on phenotype, allowing them to open pollinate, growing progeny rows from the seed of each plant, evaluating the progeny rows for desirable traits, selecting superior progenies, and repeating the process over multiple cycles of selection and progeny testing to improve the crop variety. It was developed by Hopkins in 1908 and is commonly used for maize breeding. The method allows for selection based on progeny performance rather than just plant phenotype.

1. EAR TO ROW METHOD
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding
Faculty of Agriculture
Sam Higginbottom Institute Agriculture, Technology and Sciences
(Formerly Allahabad Agriculture Institute)
Deemed-to-be-University
Allahabad
Mail Id- mail2devhingra@gmail.com
Dev Hingra

2. Nature and man are interdependent; protection of the
environment will be in the interest of man himself.
– Mahatma Gandhi

3. METHOD OF PLANT BREEDING IN CROSS
POLLINATED PLANTS – SELECTION WITH PROGENY
TESTING
With Progeny Testing:
In this method initial plants are selected on the
basis of their phenotype, but the final selection
of plant based on progeny test. This method
includes progeny selection on ear to row method
and recurrent selection.

4. PROGENY SELECTION (EAR TO ROW
METHOD):
 Hopkins in 1908 developed this method,
extensively used in maize.
A method in which selection is carried
out on progenies derived from individual ears
is called Ear To Row Method.

5. PROCEDURE
 In its simplest form it consists of
i) 50- 100 number of plants are selected on the
basis of their phenotype and are allowed to
open pollinate. The seeds from individual plants
are harvested separately.
ii) A single row of 10-50 plants i.e a progeny row,
is grown from each selected plant. The progeny
rows are evaluated for desirable character and
superior are identified.

6. iii) Several phenotypically superior plants are
selected from the superior progenies and
selected plants are permitted to open
pollinate.
iv) Small progeny rows are again grown from
the selected plants, and the process of
selection is repeated.
Conti..

7. ORIGINAL
POPULATION
MAY BE REPEATED
ONE OR MORE TIMES
YIELD TRIALS
FIRST
YEAR
SECOND
YEAR
THIRD
YEAR
i) Plants selected on the basis of
phenotype
ii) Open-pollinated seed from each
plant harvested separately
i) Small progeny rows grown from
the selected plants
ii) Superior progenies identified and
selected
iii) Plants allowed to open-pollinate;
seed is harvested separately
EAR-TO-ROWMETHOD
Same as in second year
First
selection
cycle
Second
selection
cycle
Third
selection
cycle

8. MERITS EARTO ROWMETHOD:
1.It is based on progeny test and not on the
phenotypes of individual plants hence it is far
more accurate reflection of the genotype than
phenotype.
2.Inbreeding may be avoided if care is taken to
select a sufficiently large number of plant
progenies.
3.Selection scheme is relatively simple and easy.

9. DEMERITS EAR TO ROWMETHOD:
1. There is no control on pollination and plants are
allowed to open-pollinate. Thus the selection is
based on the maternal parent only
2. The selection time is two years. Thus the time
required for selection is as much as in the case
of mass selection

10. REFERENCES
 Principles and methods of Plant breeding
B.D. Singh
 Essentials of plant breeding
Phundan singh