Breeding Maize and Millets MCQs

1. Which of the following is a primary focus in maize breeding for increasing yield potential?
(A) Shortening the plant height
(B) Enhancing pest resistance
(C) Increasing kernel number and size
(D) Reducing flowering time

2. In maize, the “three-way cross” hybrid is a cross between which of the following?
(A) Two inbred lines
(B) A single hybrid and an inbred line
(C) Two open-pollinated varieties
(D) Three inbred lines

3. Which of the following is a significant challenge in the breeding of drought-tolerant maize?
(A) Increased susceptibility to pests
(B) Low seed germination under stress
(C) Limited genetic variability for drought resistance
(D) Reduced grain quality under water stress

4. Which of the following is a commonly used technique to improve the nutritional quality of maize in breeding programs?
(A) Hybridization
(B) Mutation breeding
(C) Biofortification
(D) Clonal selection

5. In millet breeding, which of the following traits is a priority for improving tolerance to heat stress?
(A) Increased leaf area
(B) Higher root biomass
(C) Early flowering
(D) Shorter plant height

6. Which of the following is a key reason for the low adoption of hybrid maize in certain parts of the world?
(A) High cost of hybrid seed
(B) Lower yields compared to open-pollinated varieties
(C) Poor pest resistance
(D) Limited genetic diversity in hybrids

7. In the breeding of pearl millet, which of the following is a commonly used technique for improving disease resistance?
(A) Genetic modification
(B) Marker-assisted selection
(C) Hybridization
(D) Radiation-induced mutagenesis

8. Which of the following is a characteristic of “QPM” (Quality Protein Maize)?
(A) Increased fiber content
(B) Higher levels of essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan
(C) Improved drought tolerance
(D) Increased seed size

9. Which of the following genetic tools is used in maize breeding to enhance resistance to the European corn borer?
(A) Genetic modification using Bt genes
(B) Crossbreeding with wild relatives
(C) Marker-assisted selection for pest resistance genes
(D) Use of polyploidy to enhance resistance

10. In millet breeding, what is a primary objective for increasing the yield of sorghum and pearl millet?
(A) Increasing plant height
(B) Reducing flowering time
(C) Improving resistance to lodging
(D) Enhancing resistance to environmental stresses like drought and heat

11. Which of the following breeding methods is primarily used to develop maize hybrids with improved genetic potential for yield?
(A) Backcross breeding
(B) Self-pollination
(C) Cross-pollination between inbred lines
(D) Polyploidy induction

12. Which of the following is a major limitation of using conventional breeding techniques in maize for resistance to biotic stresses?
(A) Limited genetic variability in the germplasm
(B) Long breeding cycle
(C) Lack of molecular markers for disease resistance
(D) Increased susceptibility to environmental stresses

13. Which of the following is a key trait that breeders focus on when developing drought-resistant millet varieties?
(A) Larger seed size
(B) Increased leaf stomatal conductance
(C) Deeper root system
(D) Reduced flowering time

14. What is the main objective of introgressing genes from wild relatives into maize breeding programs?
(A) To increase the disease resistance of the maize varieties
(B) To enhance the nutritional quality of maize
(C) To improve yield by enhancing photosynthesis
(D) To increase the genetic diversity and resistance to abiotic stresses

15. In the context of maize and millet breeding, what does the term “heterosis” refer to?
(A) The ability of plants to survive under low fertility conditions
(B) The improved performance of hybrids over their parent lines
(C) The transfer of resistance genes from wild species
(D) The uniformity of seeds in a hybrid crop