Courses at the Department of Plant Breeding
We teach at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bonn in the programs Agricultural Sciences, Crop Science and Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS).
B.Sc. Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural Science explores all questions about the primary production of human foodstuffs, animal feed and renewable resources. Subdisciplines are crop science, animal science and agricultural economics.
Due to their broad focus, agricultural sciences are extremely multifaceted. At its core stands the challenge of meeting the food needs of a growing global population. The goal is the optimal production of safe and high-quality foods, feeds, and renewable resources—while safeguarding nature and the environment as much as possible. To this end, the program covers scientific, technical, economic, ecological and social problems associated with agricultural products and rural areas (regionally and globally).
Modules
Im Abschnitt „Versuchskonzeption – Von der Fragestellung zum Experiment“ werden die Grundzüge des pflanzlichen Versuchswesens, die Arten der Experimente und die Methoden ihres Designs allgemein und beispielhaft aus den Disziplinen des INRES vorgestellt. Im Abschnitt „Versuchsdurchführung und -auswertung mit Methode – Von den Rohdaten zur Versuchsaussage“ werden beispielhaft aus den Forschungsbereichen des Institutes spezielle Untersuchungsmethoden vorgestellt und die Charakteristiken ihrer Outputdaten erläutert. Die Behandlung der aus den Experimenten gewonnenen Rohdaten, ihre Weiterverarbeitung in Tabellenkalkulationsprogrammen und Statistikprogrammpaketen, sowie das Darstellen der Versuchsdaten mündet in die Formulierung der Versuchsaussage.
Parallel stattfindende Übungen auf den Versuchsstationen der Fakultät veranschaulichen pflanzen-wissenschaftliche Methodik vor Ort, Übungsstunden im Hörsaal lassen die Studierenden das Gehörte direkt praktisch anwenden und trainieren. In der „Experiment“- Übung entwerfen die Studierenden anhand selbst ausgewählter Fragestellungen aus dem Forschungsbereich des INRES eigene Experimente (Versuchsbeschreibung und Versuchsplan) und formulieren anhand virtueller Daten erste Versuchsaussagen (Hausarbeit und Präsentation am Semesterende).
Für die Kulturarten Weizen, Gerste, Hafer, Roggen, Triticale, Mais, Raps, Sonnenblumen, Zuckerrüben und Kartoffeln werden die Abstammung, Cytologie, Marker- bzw. Sequenzinformation, genetische Ressourcen, Befruchtungsbiologie, Sortenstruktur, Selektionsmethodik und Zuchtziele vorgestellt. In parallel stattfindenden Übungen wird pflanzenzüchterische Methodik an den Kulturpflanzen praktisch geübt, in Exkursionen zu Forschungseinrichtungen und gewerblichen Pflanzenzuchtunternehmen vor Ort demonstriert und diskutiert.
M.Sc. Crop Science
The Master of Science program Crop Science covers basic aspects of the production of high-quality plant-based feeds, foods and renewable raw materials and explores the larger picture of how all these aspects all fit together, also considering the national and international levels.
This is a research-oriented degree program that aims to provide students with in-depth knowledge, theoretical and methodological competence, and knowledge of the processes needed to conduct autonomous and innovative research in crop science (food, feed and resources). An overarching priority of this degree program is that students learn to critically assess scientific findings and put them into proper scientific perspective, and that they learn to act responsibly in agricultural occupations.
Modules
The aim of crop breeding is changing the traits of plants to produce desired characteristics. It makes use of a wide variety of methods, many based on knowledge from genetics and genomics. This lecture presents highlights from classical research and current topics and approaches. Topics include domestication, genetic variation, crop evolution, quantitative traits, phenotyping, molecular breeding tools, population genetics, genetic resources and the concept of germplasm, information management, mapping, QTL analysis, marker assisted selection, introgression, genotype-by-environment interactions, gene transfer, breeding informatics.
Ausgewählte Phänotypisierungsmethoden werden vorgestellt und hinsichtlich deren Relevanz und
Einsatzmöglichkeiten bewertet. Anschließend wird der Einsatz dieser Methoden vom Studierenden selbständig geplant und an Beispielspopulationen angewendet, protokolliert, die Daten erhoben, ausgewertet und die Ergebnisse formuliert. Dies wird in der Hausarbeit zusammenfassend dargestellt und in der Präsentation mündlich vorgestellt.
The students will learn to construct a plant breeding program by regarding several scenarios. The goal is to maximize the selection response of different populations when different restrictions are met. New analytical and molecular methods will be taught in this module to establish experties in the area of plant breeding.
The students will be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of plant genomes analysis techniques which are relevant to plant breeding. The primary learning aim is focused on the molecular analysis of inheritable traits in crops and transfer of improved traits for establishing new crop varieties. This area is located at the junction of classical plant breeding and the relatively recent field of molecular genetics and biology. Therefore, the students have the opportunity to learn a broad range of methods for genome analysis using DNA marker techniques and recent state-of-the art whole genome DNA sequencing. In addition, this module offers in depth learning of marker by trait association, gene isolation and functional analyses of genes as well as the concept of molecular breeding for the establishment of new varieties.
The students will learn the fundamentals of quantitative genetics and population genetics. They will also learn how to estimate kinship information based on marker and pedigree information. Theory behind quantitative trait loci mapping, genomic selection, epistasis, genotype-by-environment interactions, linkage disequilibrium, and different type of breeding populations.
M.Sc. ARTS
The master’s degree program in Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics is based on a multidisciplinary approach that covers agricultural and ecological issues as well as social, economic and political contexts. The degree program focuses on the basic and applied management of natural resources for agricultural research and development in tropical and subtropical regions.
In the course of the degree program, students develop a holistic, interdisciplinary understanding of the structure, use, interaction and management of natural resources while also becoming familiar with a systematic perspective on resource management. In addition to lectures and interactive seminars on modern questions of resource management, students are offered practical training in methodology and research technologies as well as practical field experience in (sub)tropical regions.
Modules
Genetic resources form an important basis of crop and livestock production. In this module, students are familiarized with the importance of genetic resources for agriculture, and with methods and approaches to conserve and utilize them. This includes insights into seed sciences, gene bank management, molecular genetics in plants and animals, and modern biotechnological approaches to characterize, utilize and maniputate genes and genomes. The module includes a seminar, in which students present non-graded talks related to the course topic. Participation in the seminar is a prerequisite for participation in the exam.
The aim of crop breeding is changing the traits of plants to produce desired characteristics. It makes use of a wide variety of methods, many based on knowledge from genetics and genomics. This lecture presents highlights from classical research and current topics and approaches. Topics include domestication, genetic variation, crop evolution, quantitative traits, phenotyping, molecular breeding tools, population genetics, genetic resources and the concept of germplasm, information management, mapping, QTL analysis, marker assisted selection, introgression, genotype-by-environment interactions, gene transfer, breeding informatics.
The students will be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of plant genomes analysis techniques which are relevant to plant breeding. The primary learning aim is focused on the molecular analysis of inheritable traits in crops and transfer of improved traits for establishing new crop varieties. This area is located at the junction of classical plant breeding and the relatively recent field of molecular genetics and biology. Therefore, the students have the opportunity to learn a broad range of methods for genome analysis using DNA marker techniques and recent state-of-the art whole genome DNA sequencing. In addition, this module offers in depth learning of marker by trait association, gene isolation and functional analyses of genes as well as the concept of molecular breeding for the establishment of new varieties.
The students will learn to construct a plant breeding program by regarding several scenarios. The goal is to maximize the selection response of different populations when different restrictions are met. New analytical and molecular methods will be taught in this module to establish experties in the area of plant breeding.