🗂️ Classification of Crop Plants

This lesson covers core principles and exam-focused points from this topic in plant breeding.

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According to the use of plants and plant products to man the grouping is made.

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Cereals

It is generally applicable to the grains obtained from the members of the Family Poaceae.

Rice, Wheat, Maize, Sorghum, Ragi, Barley, Pearl Millet, Fax tail millet, Rye, Oats etc come

under this group. Principal source of food for man and animals. Botanically the characteristic fruit

of the family Poaceae is caryopsis. Millet is generally used for the member of small grained

cereals which are of minor importance as food. Few species of plants other than those of poaceae

which produce small grains and used as food as in the of cereals. They are pseudo cereals . Buck

wheat( Agropyrum spp - Chenopodiaceae, grain amaranthus – Amaranthus spp Amaranthaceae,

Quina, ( Chenopodium quinoa - Chenapodiaceae). The major cereals are paddy, wheat sorghum,

ragi, maize, pearl millet, and the minor millets are fox tail millet, little millet etc . minor cereals

are of important space of food in drought prone rural areas . Tillering habit is more common in

cereals except in maize and sorghum. The infloresence is panicle, which may be compact or loose.

The grain is caryopsis. Cereals supply food to man and straw to animals. Grain contains starch as

the major components. Rice is the staple food for nearely half of the world population. Contains

large proportion of starch wheat contains good preparation. Bearly is used as malted food and flour

is processed in the form of light food.

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Pulses

Seeds of leguminous plants. Pulses supply protein, chief source of in vegetarian food.

Seeds are generally used, the whole fruit or pods, with young and mature leguminous plants fix

atmospheric Nitrogen in their root nodules by the nitrogen fixing bacteria. The whole plant body

in legumes in papilionaceous plants rich in nitrogen and the seeds, the pods and also the leaves

and shoots contains a high proportions of protein and are hence used as food. The average per

capita consumption of pulses in India is alone one ounce but the minimum require wet is along

three ounces, Cajanus cajan - Red gram , Vigna mungo (black gram) V. radiata (green gram)

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Vegetable, Fruits and Nuts

Olericulture deals with vegetables, Pomology deals with fruits and nuts which are rich

and valuable sources of food. Horticulture – the branch of Agriculture relating to the cultivation

of fruits (Pomology), vegetables (Olericulture) and flowers and oranamental plants (Floriculture)

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Oils and oil seeds

Oil seeds are important both for consumption and for industrial purpose. In human diet,

fat is supplied by oils which give the necessary energy for metabolism besides adding taste to the

food. Oil is used for medicinal purpose and also for preparation of soap,. cosmetics, and

lubrication. castar and coconut oil are the important industrial oil.

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Sugars and Starch

The use of sugarcane for the production of jaggery has been in existence for many

centuries. In Eurupe, Canada and USA sugar beet is the source of sugar. Sugar beet was not

prominent in tropical countries because sugarcane give high tonnage of yield . The other sources

are palmyrah, coconut and date. The tapped juice of the plants are converted into palm gur, the

cheap source of sugar to the people sugars, besides being used as food sweeteners are rich source

of energy.

In Indian diet, cereals supply the bulk of starch as in rice, sorghum, maize and other

cereals, Starchy food is also obtained from sweet potato, tapioca, and sago palm, Starch is also

an industrial product used in confectionary, textiles, stationary and cosmetic industries.

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Fibres

Next to food clothing is the most important one and is obtained brown wood pulp for the

manufacture of gunny bags hessions cloths, and packing material. The fibres of Jute and Mesta

are of importance. Twines, cordages and ropes needed in daily flowers in carpet, mats, brushes,

and for stubbing purpose such cotton is used .

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Beverages

Coffee, tea, cocoa are important beverages and they have stimulating effect. Fruit juices

like lemonades, orangeades, apple pineapple and mango juices constitute the soft drinks. Coffee

and tea are commercial crop grown in plantation and exported. Coco is gaining important in

beverages and confectionaries.

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Narcotics, fumiatories and masticatories

Products from tobacco, ganja, opium which have a stimulating effect on small doses

come under narcotics, Narcoties are substance which produce a stimulating or drowsy effect.

They relieve pain and produce sleep. Mild stimulating preparation, adjuncts to fermentation,

flavouring ingredients to

beverages, and mild poisons are also called narcotics. When substance are smoked be cause of

the stimulating effect of tobacco they are called as fumitories. Substance which are chewed as

the betel leaf and arecanut for the mastecatories. Tobacco comes as Narcotics, Fumitories and

masticatories. The alkaloid present in the plant parts are responsible for creating the effects.

Drugs are obtained from large number of plants are called medicinal plants.

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Species and containments

A variety of plant products are made use of as food adjuncts to add flavour, aroma and

taste, is spices and those give aroma and flavour is condiments. Pepper, cardamom cloves,

chillies, turmeric ginger, onion, and garlic. The species and condiments have essential oils which

are responsible for the flavour and taste.

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Rubber

The rubber plantations in tropical countries, given the species, Hevea brasiliensis a plant

introduced from Brazil Latex is obtained from the plant and processed as used as rubber . Rubber

is also obtained from Manihot glaziovii Cryptostegia and Taraxacum.

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Forages

Feed for domestic animals is obtained from grain crops and fodder crops. Generally

includes fodder and postarages; Guniea grass Napier grass, Lucerne, fodder cholam, fodder

Maize etc., are harvested and fed to animals. The grasses and legumesare grown in arable land

and left for grazing of animals come under pastures. The foliage of number of trees and shrubs

which are edible to animals form the another source of forage.

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Green manures and green leaf manures

Growing of special crops for adding organic matter and Nitrogen to the soil and

ploughing them in situ is called green manuring. daincha, sunnhemp, pillipesara, kolingi, indigo

and Sesbania speciosa the green lopping from shrubs, trees incorporated in the field as from

Ipomoea cornea, and Gliricidia form the green leaf manuring. Usually green manuring plants are

popilonacious type which fix nitrogen in the soil by the formation of bacterial nodules and higher

‘N’ content in leaves and shoots.

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Quick Recall Points

• This lesson focuses on key plant breeding concepts, terminology, and exam-relevant applications.
• Review major definitions, classifications, and method-wise distinctions from the sections above.
• Revise tables and examples from this lesson for fast pre-exam recall.

Exam Traps

• Do not confuse similarly named breeding methods without checking their core selection logic.
• Pay attention to crop-specific examples because the same principle can behave differently by species.

References

1 source • [1]

[1]

Standard Plant Breeding Class Notes (GPBR211)

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