What is plant breeding?
Q: What is plant breeding?
A: Plant breeding is the process of modifying the traits of plants to produce desired characteristics.
Q: How can plant breeding be done?
A: Plant breeding can be done by selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation or by using more complex molecular techniques such as cultigen and cultivar.
Q: How long has plant breeding been practiced?
A: Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years, since near the beginning of human civilization.
Q: Who practices plant breeding?
A: Plant breeding is now practiced worldwide by gardeners, farmers, and professional plant breeders employed by government institutions, universities, crop-specific industry associations or research centers.
Q: Why is breeding new crops important?
A: International development agencies believe that breeding new crops is important for preventing famine. New varieties are higher-yielding, resistant to pests and diseases, drought-resistant, or adapted to different environments and growing conditions.
Q: What are the goals of plant breeding?
A: The goals of plant breeding are to produce plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, or to develop new varieties that are higher-yielding, resistant to pests and diseases, drought-resistant or adapted to different environments and growing conditions.
Q: How can plant breeding help prevent famine?
A: Plant breeding can help prevent famine by developing new crop varieties that are higher-yielding, resistant to pests and diseases, drought-resistant, or adapted to different environments and growing conditions.
