Traits for ideotype
- Short and strong stem (resistance to lodging)
Short and strong stem must be incorporated into the cereal crops. Even if more irrigation and fertilizer applied, this ideotype will survive and resist to wind. Resistance to lodging will give more yields and fewer problems on harvesting. In case of lodged plant, interception of light is less, photosynthesis is affected, less accumulation of dry matter and ultimately less yield.
- Presence of own
Presence of awn is modal character in case of rice wheat, barley, oats etc. that leads to higher production. Awn less variety has less photosynthetic efficiency. Birds damage awn less variety, where awn helps to protects the grains against the birds. Awn contributes 10% towards total grain dry weight. Under rainfed condition this contribution is higher because awn is xerophytic in nature. Hence for dry area awn is very good character.
- Erect foliage
Wheat, rice and maize ideotype must have erect leaves. This is important in terms rate of photosynthesis. Erect foliage provides more population or more population could be accumulated in an area so more yields can be expected. Erectness is highly responsible to take high inputs such as fertilizer and irrigation. So erect type of canopy or erectophyle is desirable modal character.
- Many small leaves
It is better to have the small size of leaves than larger leaves. Maximum photosynthetic efficiency per unit of resource produce more dry matter.
- Large ear or panicle
Bigger ear head or panicle in terms of length and diameter. If more diameter and length then more number of florets or spikelets and ultimately increased the final yield.
- Erect ear
In case of wheat, rice , barley, oats, fox tail millet ear should be of erect type. Ear head at initial stage (green stage) contributes towards photosynthesis and the erect ear heads are more active for photosynthesis or contribution for dry matter accumulation then drooping types.
- Single culm
Multiculm variety is less preferable than single culm variety in case of rice, wheat and barley. Many tillers do not produce ear heads and there is problems barrenness or sterility. Size of the ear from side tiller is smaller than main shoot. In multiculm variety the efficiency of resource is less than single culm variety that’s why multiculm varieties are poor yielder than single culm variety. Single cob having small tassel variety is better than multicob with large tassel variety in case of maize.
8) Leaf senescence
Dry matter accumulation will be continued due to efficient photosynthesis if the maximum number of leaves are presence upto maturity stage or there is slow senescence of leaves. This is most important desirable ideal character in almost crops.
9) Other characters
a) Early maturing b) Well adopted c) More disease resistance d) Photo insensitive e) Strong competitor against weeds f) Cold tolerance variety for winter.