ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 51 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 9 Interactive Classroom: 12 Total: 75
Use languages Spanish, Galician, English
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Center Higher Polytechnic Engineering School
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: Sin Docencia (En Extinción)
Enrolment: No Matriculable (Sólo Planes en Extinción)
To provide the contents and basic tools of Forest Breeding and give a view of the state of the art in Forest Breeding Research, mainly focused on Spanish Programs.
General Contents: Molecular bases of inheritance. Mendelian Genetics. Genetic structure of populations. Reproduction systems. Genetic maps. Genetic markers. Aditive model. Heritability and response to selection. QTLs and marker assisted selection (MAS). Tree Improvement Programs, Base populations. Phenotypic mass selection. Genetic testing. Germplasm banks. Tree improvement in Spain. Biotechnology: Plant Cell and Tissue culture-in vitro. Genetic Engeneering.
Theory contents
(About 45 minutes in-class per theme (12 hours) and 150 minutes of individual study and work per theme (39 hours).
SECTION I: Principles of Genetic Improvement (3 hours)
1) Molecular bases of inheritance, chromosomes, recombination and Mendelian Genetics.
2) Genetic markers: Morphological, Biochemical and Molecular markers
3) Quantitative Genetics: Polygenic Traits, Heritability, Genetic correlations
4) Intra-population variation. Geographic Variation- Races, Clines and Ecotypes.
SECTION II: Tree Improvement (6 hours)
1) Tree Improvement Programs- Structure, Concept, Importance, Economic aspects
2) Base Populations: Species, Hybrids, Seed sources.
3) Phenotypic mass selection – Genetic gain, Traits susceptible of improvement: related to growth, morphological, technological, adaptative, related to resistance, Age-age correlation
4) Genetic tests: Seed orchards. Provenance tests. Species introduction
5) Data analyses: Models, Components of Variance, Breeding value
6) Development: Open pollination varieties, Full sib families, Clones, Artificial hybrids
7) Germplasm Banks: situ, ex situ
8) Tree Improvement in Spain: Natural stands, provenances, systems for production of reproduction forest material (RFM), legislation, programs
SECTION III: Biotechnology (3 hours)
1) Genomics (and other –omics). Functional Analysis of Genes
2) Marker assisted Selection and Breeding
3) In vitro culture od plant cells and tissues
4) Genetic Engeneering: Target traits, Transformation and Regeneration
Practicals (TOTAL: 12 hours in-class and 9 hours of individual study and work)
Laboratory practice (in vitro culture and micrografting) (12 hours: 8 in-class)
Field Practice (Visit to Seed Orchard and Selected Stand) (9 hours: 4 in-class)
Basic
White et al. (2007). Forest Genetics. CABI
Complementary
Shri Mohan Jain and P.M. Priyadarshan (Eds.) (2008). Breeding plantation tree crops : Temperate species New York ; London : Springer, 2008
Pâques, LE (2013) Forest Tree Breeding in Europe: Current State-of-the-Art and Perspectives. Springer Science & Business Media
Basic
CB 6 To have and to comprehend knowledge, providing a base or an oportunity to be original in the development and application of ideas in a research context.
CB 8 To provide the students the ability to integrate knowledge and to face to the complexity of judgement formulation for a limited or incomplete information, including reflexions on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements.
CB 9 Make the students to be able to communicate their conclusions - and the knowledge and reasons supporting them- to specialized and non-specialized audiences, in a clear and non ambiguous manner.
General
CG 6 Ability to develop technics and projects in the field of Tree Breeding
Transversales
CT 1 Ability for analysis and synthesis
CT 2 Ability for reasoning and argumentation
CT 3 Ability to work individually with an auto-critical ability
CT 4 Ability to work in group and deal with problematic situations collectively
CT 5 Ability to obtain suitable, diverse and updated information
CT 6 Ability to elaborate and present well organized and understandable texts
CT 7 Ability to make public presentations in a clear, concise and coherent way
CT 10 Use of bibliography and internet resources
CT 11 Use of information written in a foreign language
CT 12 Ability to solve problems by the integral application of his/her knowledge
Specific
CE 10 Suitable knowledge and abilities to develop and apply technology in Tree Breeding
Expository teaching (9 hours) will be carried out by combining the master lecture with the dialectical method, depending on the needs in each case. The supplementary virtual classroom will serve to provide information, to develop on line activities and as a communication tool between teacher and students.
Interactive teaching (12 hours)will comprise:
-Lab practicals (micropropagation/ micrografting)(8 hours)
-Field practicals: Visiting a seed orchard. Justification: The visit let students observe in situ a real genetic test included in a Tree Improvement Program. (4 hours)
These activities will be linked to complementary exercises, as problem resolution, critical analysis of scientific papers written in English, elaboration of a subject to present in the classroom, search of information online about specifical subjects, reports of practical work.
The primary method of assesment is by continuous evaluation. Attendance to in-person lectures (>85%) and practicals (including technical visit) is mandatory. Not to meet minimum attendance requirements involves the loss of the right to do the Final Exam, as well in the first as in the second call.
If the mark obtained by continuous evaluation is not enough to pass the subject, the student could take a final exam comprising all or part of the contents.
For the students who only took the final exam, the maximum mark is 8,0.
-Assesment system (Competencies):Weight in qualification
-Participation in lectures and practicals (CB 6; CT 1, 2, 4): 10%
-Periodical tests (CG 6;CE 10): 30%
-Realization of proposed activities, in-person or online. Elaboration and presentation of a subject (CB 6, 8, 9; CG 6; CT 1-3, 5-7, 10-12; CE 10): 45%
-Reports of practicals (CB 6; CG 6; CT 1, 6; CE 10): 15%
-Final exam -if continuous evaluation is insufficient- (CG 6; CE 10): up to 75%
Repeaters: they are exempted of attendance to practicals passed the previous year. They have a new chance for continuous evaluation, except for practicals.
CONDITIONS OF EXEMPTION OF ATTENDANCE
The exemption from attendance in this subject, for those students who meet the requirements, is partial, covering the theory part. Attendance to practice lessons is mandatory (> 85%).
Regarding the theory part, the student can choose to carry out the activities and partial tests proposed for the continuous evaluation, within the deadlines defined for each activity and test (in the tests, no special schedule will be established for students with exemption), and will be evaluated under the same conditions as those mentioned above for this type of evaluation. If they are only evaluated through a Final Exam, it will have a maximum grade of 10 and its weight in the evaluation will be 75%.
"In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of the academic performance of students and grades revision will apply."
48 hours (16 h per ECTS credit)
Approximate distribution of tasks:
Reading and preparation of themes 15 h
Exercises 12 h
Previous preparation of practicals and final reports 9 h
Preparing tests 12 h
Study regularly.
Attend tutorial hours.
Do the proposed exercises
Consult bibliography
«Materia en extinción en el curso 2024/2025, sin docencia pero con derecho a la evaluación con el sistema especificado para estudiantes repetidores».
Juan Luis Fernández Lorenzo
- Department
- Plant Production and Engineering Projects
- Area
- Plant Production
- juanluis.fernandez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer