March 9, 2007

This spring UNL will offer a five-week mini-course, "Sex in the Garden: Garden Plant Breeding," focusing on the fundamental concepts of plant breeding. The class, offered by UNL's Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on five consecutive Wednesdays beginning March 21.

Classes will consist of lecture, discussion and hands-on activities covering breeding ornamental and vegetable plants, basic flower anatomy, pollination schemes, plant propagation and a vegetable case study, according to Dale Lindgren, UNL Extension educator with the West Central Research and Extension Center. He will teach the course, along with George Graef and Deana Namuth, professor and assistant professor, respectively, in the department.

Lindgren said participants will gain an appreciation for plant breeding, a better grasp on breeding concepts and the ability, as amateurs, to experiment with plant crosses and then evaluate the resulting progeny. The class is offered for one undergraduate credit or for noncredit professional development. Undergraduate students, Master Gardeners, plant hobbyists and anyone interested in learning the basics of plant breeding are encouraged to enroll.

Classes will be in 280A Plant Sciences Building on UNL's East Campus.

There are no prerequisites for the course, and all materials will be distributed in class or made available online. Internet access and e-mail are highly recommended, but not mandatory. For more information about cost and registration, visit the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Web site at http://www.agronomy.unl.edu/prospective/distanceed.html or contact Cathy Dickinson, 402.472.1730, cdickinson2@unl.edu.