Bulk method is one of the methods to handle segregating generations. It has certain advantages and applications. Some of them are listed below.
Advantages of Bulk Method
Here are the merits of bulk method.
- Simple and inexpensive
- Little record keeping.
- Easy to handle populations as harvest in bulk.
- Natural selection is effective, possible to carry out artificial selection if required.
- We can wait for opportunity to carry out selection. Selection for some environment dependent characteristics like disease resistance, lodging resistance can be carried out when environment is favorable for disease epidemic and severe lodging. Till that year the bulk can be maintained easily.
Disadvantages of Bulk Method
Demerits of bulk method are given here
- Requires more time duration to develop new variety
- Pedigree record is not maintained, so we can not trace back progeny to the parent plant.
- Not suitable method for greenhouses
- Large number of progenies has to be selected at the end of bulking period.
- Natural selection may also work against desirable traits.
- Not much scope for skills
- Bulk method is particularly suited to small grain crop plants
- Maximum productivity is established in F2 generation of method
- No recombination occurrence among superior lines
Applications of Bulk Method
- Homozygous lines can be isolated in less time, automatic increase in homozygosity up to F6 or F8generation after this individual plant selection can be carried out.
- Natural selection may improve considered character (yield), with minimum expenses.
- Suitable for crops which are generally planted at high planting densities, e.g. small grain crops.