Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: We eat or interact with crops every day for food (tomatoes, lettuce, apples, rice, etc.), for feeding animals (hay, corn), or for a wide variety of other uses (wood, cotton). All crops come from wild plants that do not look anything like the ones we buy at the store. That is because they have been selected to look and behave in very specific ways that fit the needs of farmers, sellers, and us—the consumers. The process of developing new varieties is called breeding. Plant breeding is a complicated and lengthy process. Why do we need to breed plants? Because climate and environmental conditions are changing quickly and breeding new varieties that can survive in these new conditions or meet new needs is even more critical than before. In this article, we explain why breeding takes so long, and we discuss recent scientific findings that might help speed up the process.
Source: Frontiers for Young Minds
Authors: Victoria Stewart, Mwaura Livingstone Nganga, Isabelle M. Henry, Luca Comai
Institution: University of California, Davis
Language: English
Topic: Genetics and Plant Breeding
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4402321432