Differences Between Pureline Selection and Mass Selection

What is Pureline Selection?

Pureline selection is a plant breeding method used to develop new varieties from a single genotype or “pure line.” This approach is based on selecting and propagating individuals that consistently exhibit desirable traits, aiming to create a genetically uniform and stable line. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Selection of Parents: The process begins with selecting plants that have desirable traits from an existing population. These selected plants are typically pure lines themselves, meaning they are genetically uniform and stable.
2. Self-Pollination or Clonal Propagation: The selected plants are either self-pollinated (in self-pollinating crops) or propagated through cloning (in clonal crops). Self-pollination allows for the selection of plants with consistent traits across generations.
3. Generation of Pure Lines: The offspring from these selected plants are evaluated for trait stability. Plants that consistently exhibit the desired traits are further selected and grown. Over several generations, this process helps in purifying the line, ensuring that the traits are uniformly expressed.
4. Evaluation and Stabilization: The new pure line is rigorously evaluated to ensure that it exhibits the desired traits consistently. This evaluation may involve testing under different environmental conditions to confirm stability.
5. Release: Once a pure line demonstrates stable and desirable traits, it can be released as a new variety. Because pure lines are genetically uniform, they generally produce consistent results when grown.

Pureline selection is particularly useful for self-pollinated crops like wheat, barley, and legumes, where genetic stability and uniformity are important for agricultural performance. The method helps ensure that the new variety will perform reliably in various conditions and has consistent quality traits.

What is Mass Selection?

Mass selection is a plant breeding method used to improve a population of plants by selecting and propagating individuals with desirable traits. Unlike methods that focus on creating pure lines or specific hybrids, mass selection works with a large population and aims to enhance the overall genetic quality of the population over time. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Initial Selection: A large, diverse population of plants is grown, and individuals exhibiting desirable traits are selected. These traits might include higher yield, disease resistance, or better quality.
2. Bulk Harvesting: Instead of focusing on individual plants, seeds from the selected plants are harvested and mixed together. This mixed seed lot is then used to grow the next generation.
3. Propagation: The selected seeds are sown to produce a new generation of plants. These plants are evaluated again for the desired traits, and the process of selection is repeated.
4. Repetition: The cycle of selection, bulk harvesting, and propagation is repeated over several generations. Each time, the goal is to improve the overall quality of the population by increasing the frequency of the desirable traits.
5. Evaluation: Periodically, the breeder assesses the population to ensure that the traits are improving and becoming more consistent. This helps to gauge the effectiveness of the selection process.
6. Release: After several generations of selection, if the population consistently exhibits the desired traits and shows improvement, it may be released as a new variety or used for further breeding.

Mass selection is useful for crops where genetic diversity is beneficial and where the breeder wants to enhance traits across a broad population. It is often employed in the early stages of breeding programs or for crops that are difficult to maintain as pure lines.

Differences Between Pureline Selection and Mass Selection

1. Type of New Variety

• Pureline Selection: The new variety produced is a pureline, characterized by its uniform genetic composition.
• Mass Selection: The resulting variety is a mixture of purelines, combining different genetic backgrounds.

2. Uniformity and Variation

• Pureline Selection: The variety is highly uniform as it originates from a single genotype, though environmental variation can affect its expression.
• Mass Selection: The variety retains genetic variability, particularly in quantitative traits, though it generally maintains a uniform appearance overall.

3. Progeny Testing

• Pureline Selection: Selected plants undergo progeny testing to confirm their genetic purity and performance.
• Mass Selection: Progeny testing is typically not performed as the variety is a blend of several genotypes.

4. Improvement Potential

• Pureline Selection: This method maximizes improvement over the original variety by focusing on the best pureline available.
• Mass Selection: The new variety may be inferior to the best pureline present in the original population because it includes less desirable purelines.

5. Adaptation and Stability

• Pureline Selection: Pureline varieties often have narrower adaptation and lower stability compared to mixtures of purelines.
• Mass Selection: Varieties developed through mass selection usually exhibit broader adaptation and greater stability in performance.

6. Selection Criteria

• Pureline Selection: Plants are selected for their desirable traits, leading to a uniform phenotype.
• Mass Selection: Plants are selected based on their phenotypic similarity, but the final variety can vary as the seeds are mixed.

7. Demand on Breeders

• Pureline Selection: Requires extensive progeny testing and yield trials, making it more demanding on breeders.
• Mass Selection: Less demanding as it does not require extensive progeny testing or yield trials.

8. Time Requirement

• Pureline Selection: Typically requires 9-10 years to develop a new variety.
• Mass Selection: Generally requires 5-7 years to develop a new variety.

9. Selection Effectiveness

• Pureline Selection: Selection within a pureline variety is ineffective once it is established as a single genotype.
• Mass Selection: Selection within a variety developed by mass selection can be effective due to its inherent genetic variability.

10. Quality Uniformity

• Pureline Selection: The produce of a pureline variety is uniformly high in quality.
• Mass Selection: The quality of produce may vary because different purelines used in the mixture may differ in quality.

11. Identification in Certification Programs

• Pureline Selection: Pureline varieties are easily identifiable in seed certification programs due to their uniformity.
• Mass Selection: Varieties are relatively difficult to identify in seed certification programs due to the mixture of different purelines.

12. Application

• Pureline Selection: Typically used in self-pollinated crops and occasionally in cross-pollinated crops.
• Mass Selection: Applied in both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated crops.