"Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics."
The process of selecting and crossing plants with desirable traits to create new varieties.
Plant genetics: The study of heredity and variation in plants, including the inheritance of traits and the mechanisms of genetic variation.
Plant physiology: The study of how plants grow and function, including photosynthesis, respiration, and other metabolic processes.
Plant anatomy: The study of the internal structure of plants, including tissues, cells, and organs.
Plant pathology: The study of plant diseases, including their causes, symptoms, and management.
Plant ecology: The study of how plants interact with their environment, including their relationships with other organisms and their responses to abiotic factors such as temperature, water, and light.
Plant taxonomy: The classification of plants into groups based on their characteristics and evolutionary relationships.
Plant biotechnology: The use of genetic engineering, tissue culture, and other techniques to modify plants for desired traits.
Agronomy: The study of crop production and management, including soil and water management, nutrient management, and pest management.
Plant breeding methods: The principles and methods used to develop new crop varieties, including selection, hybridization, and molecular breeding techniques.
Germplasm preservation: The conservation and utilization of genetic resources for plant breeding, including seed banks and other conservation methods.
Seed production and marketing: The production, processing, and marketing of seeds for crop production.
Intellectual property and regulatory issues: The legal and regulatory framework for the protection and commercialization of new plant varieties.
Ethical and social issues: The ethical and social implications of plant breeding and biotechnology, including environmental impacts and access to plant genetic resources.
Conventional Breeding: This is the traditional method of plant breeding, where plants with desirable traits are cross-bred with other plants to create offspring with improved characteristics.
Mutagenesis: This is a technique used to induce mutations in plants to create new varieties with desirable traits. Mutagenesis involves exposing the plants to chemicals, radiation or other agents that cause genetic changes.
Marker-Assisted Breeding: This technique involves the use of molecular markers to select plants with desirable traits. DNA markers are used to identify plants with a particular trait, which can then be bred with other plants to create new varieties.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): This involves the insertion of foreign genes into the DNA of plants to create new varieties with improved traits. GMOs have been controversial due to concerns about their impact on the environment and human health.
Tissue Culture: This involves the growth of plant cells or tissues in a laboratory environment to create new plant varieties. Tissue culture can be used to produce large numbers of plants with specific traits quickly and efficiently.
Hybridization: This involves crossing two different plants with desirable traits to create a new hybrid plant with improved characteristics. Hybridization is often used to create plants with improved yield or disease resistance.
Polyploidization: This involves the manipulation of the chromosome number in plant cells to create new varieties with improved traits. Polyploidization can result in plants with larger, more robust leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Genome Editing: This is a newer technique that involves the use of enzymes to make precise changes to the DNA of plants. Genome editing has the potential to create plants with highly specific traits, such as resistance to certain diseases or pests.
Participatory Plant Breeding: This involves the active participation of farmers in the plant breeding process. Farmers provide feedback on the traits they would like to see in their crops, and plant breeders work to create new varieties based on this input.
"The goals of plant breeding are to produce crop varieties that boast unique and superior traits for a variety of applications."
"The most frequently addressed agricultural traits are those related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, grain or biomass yield, end-use quality characteristics such as taste or the concentrations of specific biological molecules (proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins, fibers) and ease of processing."
"Plant breeding can be performed through many different techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to methods that make use of knowledge of genetics and chromosomes, to more complex molecular techniques."
"Genes in a plant are what determine what type of qualitative or quantitative traits it will have."
"It is practiced worldwide by individuals such as gardeners and farmers, and by professional plant breeders employed by organizations such as government institutions, universities, crop-specific industry associations, or research centers."
"International development agencies believe that breeding new crops is important for ensuring food security by developing new varieties that are higher yielding, disease resistant, drought tolerant or regionally adapted to different environments and growing conditions."
"Without plant breeding, Europe would have produced 20% fewer arable crops over the last 20 years, consuming an additional 21.6 million hectares (53 million acres) of land and emitting 4 billion tonnes (3.9×109 long tons; 4.4×109 short tons) of carbon."
"Wheat species created for Morocco are currently being crossed with plants to create new varieties for northern France."
"Soy beans, which were previously grown predominantly in the south of France, are now grown in southern Germany."
"It has been used to improve the quality of nutrition in products for humans and animals."
"Plant breeders strive to create a specific outcome of plants and potentially new plant varieties."
"Methods [of plant breeding] make use of knowledge of genetics and chromosomes."
"End-use quality characteristics such as taste or the concentrations of specific biological molecules (proteins, sugars, lipids, vitamins, fibers)."
"Those related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, grain or biomass yield, and ease of processing."
"Individuals such as gardeners and farmers, and professional plant breeders employed by organizations such as government institutions, universities, crop-specific industry associations or research centers."
"Breeding new crops is important for ensuring food security by developing new varieties that are higher yielding, disease resistant, drought tolerant, or regionally adapted to different environments and growing conditions."
"Without plant breeding, Europe would have consumed an additional 21.6 million hectares (53 million acres) of land and emitted 4 billion tonnes (3.9×109 long tons; 4.4×109 short tons) of carbon."
"Wheat species created for Morocco are currently being crossed with plants to create new varieties for northern France."
"Soy beans, which were previously grown predominantly in the south of France, are now grown in southern Germany."