ICAR AIEEA-PG — Forestry/Agroforestry & Silviculture (Major Subject Group 09) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe genetics of forest trees and how breeding programmes select, test and deploy better trees: provenance trials, plus trees, seed orchards, progeny tests, clonal forestry and genetic gain.
In the exams: IFoS Forestry Paper I Section B (tree improvement and seed technology); ICAR AICE-JRF 59 Unit 3; ICAR AIEEA-PG Group 09 (forest genetics and tree improvement)
ICAR AIEEA-PG — Forestry/Agroforestry & Silviculture; FRI Deemed University M.Sc. admission
Recall of definitions (provenance, plus tree, CSO, SSO, half-sib, full-sib, heritability), examples of hybrids and exotics, and simple numericals on gain.
How our questions for ICAR AIEEA-PG spread across the units of Forest Genetics & Tree Improvement. Difficulty: 16 easy, 9 medium, 1 hard.
| Selection of plus trees and seed production areas | 3 | |
| Clonal forestry: merits, risks and deployment | 3 | |
| Variation in natural populations and its causes | 2 | |
| Basics of forest genetics: inheritance, Hardy-Weinberg, drift, gene flow | 2 | |
| Mating systems and pollination biology of forest trees | 2 | |
| Provenance and seed source; provenance testing | 2 | |
| Seed orchards: clonal and seedling, layout and management | 2 | |
| Progeny tests and field designs | 2 | |
| Heritability, selection differential and genetic gain | 2 | |
| Exotics, land races and species introduction | 2 | |
| Hybridisation and polyploidy in trees | 2 | |
| Molecular markers and genomic selection in trees | 2 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
The megagametophyte of a conifer seed is useful in genetic studies because it is:
A. Haploid and genetically identical to the egg
The haploid megagametophyte carries the maternal gametic genotype.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
Most conifers, with male and female cones on the same tree, are:
B. Monoecious
Pines, spruces and firs are monoecious.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
A provenance is:
A. The geographic origin of seed
Provenance means place of origin.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
In the comparison-tree method of plus-tree selection, the candidate is compared with:
A. The best neighbouring dominant trees of the same age on the same site
Commonly about five comparison dominants nearby.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
A seed production area is:
D. An upgraded good stand
SPAs give quick, modest gains.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
A clonal seed orchard is established with:
C. Grafts or cuttings of plus trees
CSOs propagate plus trees vegetatively.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
A polycross mating design means each parent is:
A. Given a pollen mixture
Polycrosses estimate GCA efficiently.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
Which markers are codominant, highly variable and widely used for fingerprinting clones?
A. Microsatellites, or SSRs
SSRs are codominant; RAPD and AFLP are dominant.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
Markers are used in seed orchards to measure:
B. Pollen contamination
Paternity analysis reveals outside pollen and selfing.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
Clonal plants can be produced by:
B. Rooted cuttings or tissue culture
Vegetative propagation produces clones; crossing and orchards produce seedlings.
Further reading: White, Adams & Neale, Forest Genetics (2007); Zobel & Talbert, Applied Forest Tree Improvement (1984); Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics (4th ed., 1996)
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