Course coordinator
Dr Christopher Lambrides
Consultation can be requested by emailing for an appointment.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- Gatton
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
This course provides students with an opportunity to explore the complexities and challenges of modern plant breeding. The course will cover the foundations of cultivar development through the application of cross breeding and selection, coupled with a range of advanced breeding technologies that are used in the development of breeding schemes leading to the release of improved plant varieties and cultivars. This will be examined in the context of population improvement and the development of inbred, hybrid, synthetic and clonal cultivars. Case studies and simulations will be used to highlight recent advances in plant breeding research, examine the impacts of gene action, heritability and genotype x environment interactions on the outcomes from breeding and selection.
This course will explore the challenges and complexities of modern plant breeding, as applied to the development of improved plant cultivars and varieties in agriculture and horticulture. Today, all plant industries are highly dependent on genetically improved plant varieties. Almost every natural productﾠthat we eat, wear or use on a daily basis is either the product of, or directly dependent on the products of plant breeding. Without plant breeding, it would be impossible to supply the needs of the current world population. Likewise, meeting theﾠfuture challenges of climate change and food security will depend on the endeavours, dedication and successﾠof the next generation of plant breeders.ﾠ
Plant breeding is a science which is truly creative:ﾠplant breeders create and select new combinations of genes, creating new and unique phenotypes and varieties that previously did not exist. At some point in time, all successful varieties were represented by only a few seeds (or other genetic material) in the hands of a plant breeder. Unless the unique attributesﾠof this material are recognised, selected and propagated by a plant breeder, the potential of this material to provide food, fibre, shelter, and other economic and environmental benefits, will never be realised and these unique genetic combinations become lost and may never be recreated.ﾠ
Success as a plant breeder requires integration of knowledge and understanding across a broad range of disciplines (including genetics, biology, agronomy/horticulture, pathology, physiology, molecular biology, and biometry/statistics), as well as excellent project management and organisation skills and theﾠability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. A successful breeder must keenly observe and understand phenotypic and genotypic variation that is the basis of all new plant varieties.ﾠ
The course will be presented through the lens of private sector plant breeding progams, reflecting the considerable industry experience of the course co-ordinator and other UQ academics and guest lecturers that will present during the semester.ﾠ By the end of the course students will have a firm understanding of how new cultivars are developed. The course also benefits from the considerable learnings from the UQ led BPAT (Breeding Program Assessment Tool) project develped from the principles of running efficient private sector breeding programs. BPAT that has been used by UQ to evaluate over 85 public sector plant breeding programs of staple food crops that operate in emerging economies around the world. Subsequently, these breeding programs were able to develop a modernisation agenda to maximise rates of genetic gain with the aim of delivering better varieties for small landholder substance farmers, particularly in Africa and Asia.
Students will gain an understanding of floral biology that underpins the mating system of plants and how it determines whether they are cross-pollinating or self-pollinating. The mating system ultimately determines the genetic architecture of plant speciesﾠ and how they are propagated and used in agriculture by farmers. The course will explore basic concepts of Mendelian, Population and Quantitative Genetics and these will facilitate the knowledge needed to understand modern plant breeding programs. Emphasis will be made on quantitative plant breeding approaches where statistical rigor associated breeding program operations are paramount.ﾠ Here the statistic heritability is frequently estimated in plant breeding programs and this provides a measure of how much of the phenotypic observations are due to genetic effects. Students will be taught basic statistics used by plant breeders to help estimate hertiability and dissect genotype x environment interactions that are so typically observed in plant breeding programs. ﾠWherever possible modern molecular approaches will be emphasised.ﾠ This course would provide the foundation skills that would give students excellent opportunities to gain employment in private and public sector plant breeding programs.
Disclaimer
While we make every attempt to follow this Course Profile changes might be required due toﾠsome unforeseen circumstances (such as emergencies). In which case, we will inform you and make alternative arrangements as soon as practicable.ﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
ﾠIdeally students should haveﾠpreviously completed an introductory genetics courseﾠprior to enrolling in this plant breeding course.
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
STAT1201
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Zulfi Jahufer
Guest lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course is currently scheduled on Friday of each teaching week. Lectures 9-12, Tutorials/Pracs 1-4 - students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in all lectures and practicals. Further, there will be some full-day field trips to plant breeding programs in the region. ﾠStudents are expected to attend these field trips, as this forms part of the assessment for this course. Details will be provided on Blackboard once the field trip schedule has been finalised.
Detailed content is provided via the excellent text book by George Acquaah "Principles of plant genetics and breeding" which is available on-line through the UQ library. Lectures/practicals will reinforce information presented in the text book. Therefore, students are expected to read and understand the assigned chapters of this text book prior to scheduled class (e.g. in week 1, students are required to have read chapters 1 and 2 prior to the first class). The content in the assigned chapters will be reinforced by discussions and practicals. Student understanding will be assessed progressively through several in-class multiple-choice quizzes.
Aims and outcomes
This course provides an introduction to the concepts and principles of plant breeding. During this course the students will learn:
- the fundamental knowledge underpinning concepts of plant breeding
- how to construct applied plant breeding programs
- to apply a range of plant breeding tools and approaches to maximise genetic gain
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Appreciate the importance of genetic resources and how they are used to create new genetic variation in plant breeding programs that aim to address target product profiles.
LO2.
Investigate how reproductive systems of plants determine whether they are self- or cross- pollinating. This characteristic of plants will ultimately have genetic consequences.
LO3.
Learn how Mendelian/Population/Quantitative genetics can help provide the basic understanding of how plant breeding programs operate and be manipulated using simple statistical methods.
LO4.
Apply basic statistical methodologies to plant breeding populations that enable the selection of individual plants (genotypes) or populations of plants with superior performance.
LO5.
Understand modern breeding methodologies including molecular approaches used in self/cross pollinating species.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Sequential Test Series
|
50% Test 1 5%, Test 2, 3 and 4 15%, contributing to towards the overall weighting of this assessment |
TEST 1 21/03/2025 TEST 2 4/04/2025 TEST 3 2/05/2025 TEST 4 30/05/2025
Completed in person during timetabled practical/tutorial session on the relevant days |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Report 1 Handling Basic Plant Breeding data | 20% |
7/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Report 2 Analysis of Multi-Environment-Trial data | 30% |
19/05/2025 2:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Sequential Test Series
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 50% Test 1 5%, Test 2, 3 and 4 15%, contributing to towards the overall weighting of this assessment
- Due date
TEST 1 21/03/2025
TEST 2 4/04/2025
TEST 3 2/05/2025
TEST 4 30/05/2025
Completed in person during timetabled practical/tutorial session on the relevant days
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Please see the course schedule on Blackboard for date of the test. It will be conducted during either the lecture or practical/tutorial timeslot.
The invigilated test will be closed book, multiple choice and/or short answer and run through Blackboard in class - students will need to bring their own devices.
Quiz will cover one or more of the following course activities; Classwork, Practical work, Field trips, Tutorials.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Refer to addtional course grading information.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Report 1 Handling Basic Plant Breeding data
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
7/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L04
Task description
Using data collected in the field or provided, you will be required to analyse a single trait measured in a plant breeding program. A short report will be required explaining the analysis of the data and the conclusions to be drawn.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin submission details:
You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Report 2 Analysis of Multi-Environment-Trial data
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
19/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Task description
For this assessment, you will be provided with a multi-environment dataset typically generated in plant breeding programs. You will be asked to analyse the dataset using methods discussed during the course. You will submit a report in Turnitin.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin submission details:
You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration:
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>0 - 34%</p> |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>35% - 46%</p> |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: <p>A cumulative score ofﾠ47% - 49% for all assessment items OR A cumulative score of 50% > AND less than a passing mark in the combined Test marks.ﾠ</p> |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>A cumulative score ofﾠ50% - 64% for all assessment items</p> |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>A cumulative score ofﾠ65% - 74% for all assessment items</p> |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>A cumulative score ofﾠ75% - 84% for all assessment itemsﾠ</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>A cumulative score ofﾠ85% - 100% for all assessment items</p> |
Additional course grading information
Students must achieve a passing mark, in the combined Test marks.ﾠ
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
TurnItIn Assignments
Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site.ﾠIf you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.ﾠﾠ
Results
Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator,ﾠevery attempt will be madeﾠto haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day.ﾠResults and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.
Feedback in this course
Feedback is welcome in this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.
Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled internally, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Course Blackboard site | Blackboard is the main method of communication for this course. | |
| Course Profile | Provides details of specifications, rationale, aims and structure of the course. It also informs you of the assessment for this course, including weighting and due dates. |
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lecture Series The content of lectures delivered throughout the semester. Further information will be provided on Blackboard. Please note the lecture schedule is subject to change, and updates will be provided through Blackboard. Sub-activity: Week 1 - Introduction to Plant Breeding Week 2 - Plant Domestication/Genetic Res, Reproductive systems, Mendelian Genetics Week 3 - Breeding self pollinating crops, Introduction to population and quantitative genetics Week 4 - Breeding program optimization (breeders equation), molecular breeding Week 5 - Breeding cross pollinated crops -hybrid crops Week 6 - Breeding hybrid crops with CMS Week 7 - High through put phenotyping Week 9 - Breeding horticultural crops -Macadamia, Apple, Selection Indices Week 10 - Breeding horticultural crops -Eucalyptus, Strawberry, Almond Week 11 - Elite Plant Breeding/ novel breeding techniques Week 12 - Breeding for climate change, Speed breeding Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 10 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial Series The course tutorial topics will be provided in more detail on the Course Blackboard site. Sub-activity: Week 2 - Investigations of floral morphology/Plant breeding field trials Week 3 - QuTeach - Population and Quantitative Genetics/Intro to deltagen Week 5 - Handling basic breeding data, Design and analysis of breeding trials Week 9 - Analysis of MET data Week 10 - Estimating genetic gain Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Multiple weeks From Week 4 To Week 12 |
Fieldwork |
Field visits Several field visits as single day trips are part of this course. Further details will be provided on Blackboard. Sub-activity: Week 4 - Visit to Hermitage Research Station Week 7 - Visit to Pac Seeds Week 12 - Visit to EnzaZaden Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course: