The process of crossing two genetically different plants to obtain a progeny having a combination of desirable characteristics is called Hybridisation. It may be interspecific or intraspecific or intergeneric.
Procedure of hybridisation:
1. First of all we select the plants with desirable traits.
2. In bisexual plants anthers are removed from the stamens (emasculation) to avoid self-pollination. In unisexual plants and in self-sterile bisexual plants emasculation is not required. Male sterillity has been reported in many plants such as wheat, maize, sorghum, barley, sunflower etc.
3. The emasculated flower is immediately enclosed within polythene bag to prevent the pollination from unwanted plants. This process is called bagging.
4. The emasculated and bagged flowers must be tagged by writing every step with date and time. The bagging and pollination is incomplete without tagging.
5. During artificial pollination, the mature and viable pollen grains are collected from the male parent and the pollen grains from the bag are dusted over the stigma. The bag is replaced immediately over artificially pollinated stigma.
6. Hybrid. Seeds of the cross are sown to raise the F (first filial) generation progeny. The breeding of ‘hybrid corn’ is an important example of hybridization. It is produced by crossing two inbred or homozygous lines of maize. The inbred lines aree true breeding and highly uniform.
