Did you know that crop farmers around the world are counting on you to solve their problems? The world population is growing and so is its demand for food. This puts food crop production under tremendous pressure. To make things more difficult, farmers have to deal with loss and deterioration of arable land, pests, diseases, climate change, and the importance of water management and sustainable production. Our Plant Breeding and Seed Production minor will help prepare you for the task of developing and implementing plant breeding programmes that deal with these challenges.

What does plant breeding and seed production involve?
Now more than ever, plant breeders are challenged to develop cultivars that produce higher crop yields that are resilient to pests, disease-resistant, and tolerant to abiotic factors, such as salt, extreme temperatures and drought. Dutch seed companies and research institutes play an important international role in developing improved cultivars, especially for vegetable seeds, seed potatoes, flower bulbs, propagation material for (fruit)trees and ornamentals. They employ plant breeders and plant researchers to develop, organize and implement breeding programmes.

What will you learn?
In this minor, you will learn how to carry out the different steps in developing new cultivars. This means you will be able to determine the aims of breeding programmes, based on the analysis of crop production and market data. Besides this, you will be able to introduce genetic variation, assess selection trials, and develop selection experiments for desired traits, while including disease tests. The programme consists of courses in genetic variation and breeding methods, the biology of seed production, breeding for resistance, and experimental development and analysis of field trial data.

One of two ‘Plant Breeding minors’
The Plant Breeding and Seed Production minor is open to Dutch and international students. This minor was specially developed for those interested in a career in plant breeding and is one of two minors in our 1-year Plant Breeding programme (60 ECTS). We highly recommend following the whole programme, however for Dutch students it is also possible to follow the minors separately.
For specific information on the whole programma Plant Breeding, please contact the coordinator Bram Knegt (b.knegt@aeres.nl).

You can participate in this minor if you have:

• Successfully completed two to three years of a related bachelor program, such as Applied Biology, Horticulture and Arable Farming or an additional degree in a related course. Study subjects: Plant taxonomy, plant growth and reproduction, plant physiology, Mendelian genetics, biology of pests and diseases, cell biology, basis statistics.

or

In special situations in case the candidate can prove that he/she has a knowledge of these topics gained through working experience he/she may be exempted from fulfilling one of the previous criteria and

• English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for EU students; a test can be taken at an intake session of the course, without extra costs. Overseas students need to provide an authenticated proof in advance.

Practical guides and additional documents will be provided on Canvas.

Recommended: Acquaah, G. (2012) Principles of Plant genetics and breeding. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-0-470-66476-6

Semester 1, 2024-2025

The courses of this minor will be taught on Mondays and Fridays weekly.
Weeks: 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 and 51.

There are several components in this minor, each with a specific evaluation procedure. Theory classes will be examined in a written exam; practicals and fieldwork will be evaluated by attendance and a proof of proficiency; the assessment will be evaluated on the quality of the report and a presentation to the official client.

• Assessment: breeding program + oral defense (4 ECTS), September – January
• Genetic variation and breeding methods (theory class) (4 ECTS), September – January
• Biology of seed production (theory class) (3 ECTS), September – November
• Breeding for resistance (theory class + lab practical) (2 ECTS), November – January
• Experimental design and field trails (training) (2 ECTS), September – November

Apply now!
So, what do you think? Can you see yourself playing your part in plant breeding and seed production? Apply now or click the link for more information on the Plant Breeding and Seed Production minor.