This document discusses mass selection, a method of plant breeding where individual plants are selected based on desirable phenotypes from a mixed population. Seeds from selected plants are then combined to grow the next generation. Mass selection can be used to improve self-pollinating or cross-pollinating crops. It has resulted in improved varieties of crops like bajra, yellow sarson, brown sarson, maize, desi cotton, and castor. While mass selection is simple and applicable to many crops, the improvements may be less than other methods and varieties developed have more genetic variation than pure lines.

1. Dr. NAVEENKUMAR K.L
Assistant Professor
Dept. Of Genetics and Plant Breeding
UAHS Shivamogga
MASS SELECTION

2. Methods of Breeding Self pollinated crops
1. Plant Introduction
2. Mass selection
3. Pureline selection
4. Pedigree method
5. Bulk method
6. Single seed descent method (SSD)
7. Backcross method
8. Heterosis breeding
9. Mutation breeding
10.Polyploidy breeding
11.Distant hybridization
12.Transgenic breeding.
Methods of Breeding Cross pollinated crops
1. Plant introduction
2. Mass and progeny selection
3. Backcross method
4. Heterosis breeding
5. Recurrent selection
6. Synthetic breeding
7. Composite breeding
8. Mutation breeding
9. Polyploidy breeding
10.Distant hybridization
11.Transgenic breeding

3. I. MASS SELECTION

4.  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.
OR
 Mass selection refers to a large number of plants of similar
phenotypes are selected and their seeds are mixed together
to constitute the new variety.
 The oldest methods of crop improvement
 Applicable to both self and cross pollinated species.
 Selection may be practiced in each generations by
eliminating undesirable plants.
 Mass selection can be used in the improvement of self &
cross pollinated crops by planting segregating populations
in large plots and harvesting in bulks.
I. MASS SELECTION

5. MASS SELECTION
 In mass selection a large number of plants of similar phenotype
are selected and their seeds are mixed together to constitute a
new variety
 The plants are selected on the basis of their
phenotype/appearance or selection is done for easily
observable characters like plant height, ear type, grain colour,
grain size, disease resistance, tillering ability, lodging etc.
 Generally plants selected in mass selection are not subjected to
progeny testing.

6.  According to Allard (1960) progeny testing should be done so as to
eliminate poor and defective progenies .
 The population obtained from selected plants would be more
uniform than the original population.
 The population is bound to show some variation for quantitative
characters like yield, quality and adaptability as the plants are
selected randomly.
 A variety developed through mass selection will have considerable
genetic variation and further selections (Mass/Pureline) may be
done in such a variety at a later stage.

7. Objectives
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

8. Main features
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.

9. 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.
3. Selection:
 Selection is effective due to presence of heritable
variation.

10. 4. 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.
5. Maintenance:
Periodic removal of off type plants is essential to
maintain the yield of mass selected varieties.

11. Types of mass selection
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.

12. STEPS IN MASS SELECTION
1. Selection of base population
2. Selection of desirable plants from base population
3. Mixing their seeds to rise next generation
4. Evaluation in field trails
5. Releasing as a new variety

13. PROCEDURE  FIRST YEAR
 A large no. of phenotypically similar plants are
selected for their vigour, plant type, disease
resistance, etc.
 100-1000 Plants selected.
 Seed from selected plants are composited to
raise next generation.
 SECOND YEAR
 The composite seeds are planted in a preliminary
yield trial along with standard check variety.
 The variety from which the selection was made
should also be included as a check to determine
if there has been an improvement due to the
selection.
THIRD TO FIFTH YEARS
 The variety is evaluated in a coordinated yield
trials of several locations.
 SIXTH YEAR
 Seed multiplication for distribution.
X X X X X X
X X X X X X
X X X X X X
X X X X X X

14. VARIATION IN PROCEDURE OF MASS SELECTION WITH PROGENY TEST

15. The Success of mass selection depends on
1. Variability in base population
2. Mode of inheritance of characters to be improved
3. Heritability of characters
4. Oligogenic recessive characters than polygenic traits

16. 1. Improvement of local / desi varieties
2. Purification of existing Pureline varities
APPLICATIONS OF MASS
SELECTION

17. 1. IMPROVEMENT OF LOCAL OR DESI VARIETIES
1. MS is useful for improvement of local/desi varieties
2. Local varieties are mixture of several genotypes that may differ in flowering,
maturity, disease resistance, plant height etc. Consequently many of these
types may be inferior & poor yielders
3. The elimination of poor types through mass selection will improve their
performance and uniformity of a variety
4. Since the local types have been under cultivation for long time they will be well
adapted to the local environment and will be relatively stable in their
performance
5. MS will improve the local variety without adversely affecting its adaptability
and stability because the new variety will be made up of most superior plant
types present in the original population

18. 2. PURIFICATION OF EXISTING PURELINE VARIETIES
 Purelines tend to become variable with time due to
mutations, natural hybridizations and mechanical mixtures
 Hence it is necessary that the purity of pureline varieties be
maintained through regular mass selection. Presently MS is
used precisely for this purpose and the Nucleus Seed of
purelines is produced through MS
 Thus as a breeding method MS has only a limited application
for improvement of SPC.

19. 1. Good method for old and land races varieties.
2. Good for purification of improved variety.
3. More stable then pure lines due to heterogeneity.
4. Good protection again disease and pest.
5. Simple and quick method for improvement.
6. Applicable in self and cross pollinated species.
MERITS

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

21. 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

22. Modification of mass selection
1. Rejection of inferior plants:
Inferior plant are removed before flowering.
2. Use of composite pollen:-
Pollen are collected then bulked.

23. 3. Stratification of field
Also known as stratified mass selection or grid
method of mass selection
This modification suggested by Gardner (1961)
Field divided into several small plots, having 40-50
plants each
Selection is done within the plots and not among the
plots.
Superior plant are selected in each small plot.
Seeds are selected and composite to raise the next
generation

24. Ear to Row Method