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).
Alle Kulturpflanzen sind unterschiedlich und stellen besondere Anforderungen an ihre genetische Verbesserung durch Pflanzenzüchtung. Dieses Modul behandelt die Abstammung, Cytologie, genetische und genomische Ressourcen, Befruchtungsbiologie, Sortenstruktur, Selektionsmethodik und Zuchtziele für bestimmte Kulturpflanzen. 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
Crop breeding refers to the genetic improvement of crop plants. This can be done using a wide variety of methods, most of which are derived from specific genetics and genomics concepts. This module aims to present an overview of these concepts and methods, including highlights from classical research as well as current research topics and approaches.
Selected phenotyping methods are presented and evaluated with regard to their relevance and possible applications. The student then plans the use of these methods independently and applies them to sample populations, records, collects and analyzes the data and then formulates the results. This is summarized in a report and presented orally in a presentation.
Students will gain an overview of the diversity of different plant breeding methodologies, and learn how to design a plant breeding project and decide on apropriate methodologies to reach specific breeding goals. Students will learn how to collect, analyse and present data and troubleshoot methodology for a specific breeding project.
The students will be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of plant genome analysis techniques which are relevant to plant breeding. Students will learn methods for the molecular and genomic analysis of heritable traits in crops. Students will have the opportunity to learn a broad range of methods for genome analysis, including DNA marker techniques and analysis of whole genome DNA sequencing data. They will also learn how genomic resquencing data can be used for specific breeding applications.
The students will learn the fundamentals of quantitative genetics and population genetics and useful methods for breeding. They will also learn how to estimate population differentiation, kinship, heritability, breeding values, genotype-by-environment effects, and pedigrees. They will learn how to do quantitative trait loci mapping, genomic selection, linkage disequilibrium, GWAS, marker assisted selection (MAS), and about different types 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. The module includes a seminar, in which students present graded talks related to the course topics.
Crop breeding refers to the genetic improvement of crop plants. This can be done using a wide variety of methods, most of which are derived from specific genetics and genomics concepts. This module aims to present an overview of these concepts and methods, including highlights from classical research as well as current research topics and approaches.
The students will be introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of plant genome analysis techniques which are relevant to plant breeding. Students will learn methods for the molecular and genomic analysis of heritable traits in crops. Students will have the opportunity to learn a broad range of methods for genome analysis, including DNA marker techniques and analysis of whole genome DNA sequencing data. They will also learn how genomic resquencing data can be used for specific breeding applications.
Students will gain an overview of the diversity of different plant breeding methodologies, and learn how to design a plant breeding project and decide on apropriate methodologies to reach specific breeding goals. Students will learn how to collect, analyse and present data and troubleshoot methodology for a specific breeding project.