APPLICATION OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN PRACTICAL CLASSES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TEACHING OF GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING

“Genetics and Plant Breeding” is a fundamental subject of Agriculture degrees. Courses of “Genetics and Plant Breeding” are essential for knowledge of the fundamentals of developing new improved cultivars, as well as to develop skills for the optimization of the utilization of different types of cultivars in agricultural production. Practical classes constitute an important part of these courses and are necessary for an adequate teaching of this subject. In this respect, the direct research experience of the lecturers can be of great utility for the teaching of “Genetics and Plant Breeding” courses. Our group has a wide experience in basic and applied research studies on the characteristics, diversity, and breeding of two Solanaceae crops of great importance, namely peppers (Capsicum spp.) and eggplants (Solanum melongena and related cultivated species). Therefore, based on this experience, we have studied the suitability of using peppers and eggplants as a useful resource for use in the practical classes of “Genetics and Plant Breeding” courses in our University (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia). At present, practical sessions on these courses are mostly based on different crops and organisms, which makes difficult for the student to have a comprehensive and integrated view of the breeding process. The advantage of using a few crops for the practical sessions is that the students can study and apply different protocols related to several aspects of genetics and breeding in the same materials, which facilitates the learning of usually long and complex processes typical of breeding programmes. Therefore, we have studied the applicability of Capsicum and eggplant materials in the practical sessions of a “Genetics and Plant Breeding” course at our University for the degrees of Technical Engineer in Horticulture and Engineer in Agronomy. For most of the 15 practical sessions of the present courses of “Genetics and Plant Breeding”, peppers and eggplants can make an effective contribution to the learning and acquisition of skills in this subject. We describe how Capsicum and eggplant materials could be used in each of the practical classes and how they could contribute to the improvement of the present practical classes in the different modules in which they are divided: fundamentals of genetics, genetic resources and variation, reproductive biology, evaluation of traits of agronomic interest, and biotechnological tools in plant breeding. The results of our study indicate that devoting practical sessions to specific crops for which the lecturers have ample experience, may contribute to facilitating the learning in courses of “Genetics and Plant Breeding”. This is a demonstration that research experience of the lecturers can be of great utility for the teaching process in Agriculture degrees.