SELECTIVE BREEDING

IN PLANTS
 PLANT BREEDING
• Plant breeding is the art and science of changing the traits of plants in
order to produce desired characteristics. Plant breeding can be
accomplished through many different techniques ranging from simply
selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more
complex molecular techniques.
• Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years, since near the
beginning of human civilization. It is practiced worldwide by individuals
such as gardeners and farmers, or by professional plant breeders
employed by organizations such as government institutions, universities,
crop-specific industry associations or research centers.
• International development nation agencies believe that breeding new
crops is important for ensuring food security by developing new varieties
that are higher-yielding, disease resistant, drought-resistant or regionally
adapted to different environments and growing conditions.
 PLANT BREEDING TECHNIQUES
NATURAL
BREEDING
One major technique of plant breeding is
selection, the process of selectively
propagating plants with desirable
characteristics and eliminating or "culling"
those with less desirable characteristics.
ARTIFICIAL
BREEDING
Another technique is the
deliberate interbreeding
(crossing) of closely or distantly
related individuals to produce
new crop varieties or lines with
desirable properties.
REASONS WHY PLANT BREEDING IS IN
PROCESS........
• Improved quality, such as increased nutrition, improved
flavor, or greater beauty.
• Increased yield of the crop.
• Increased tolerance of environmental pressures (salinity,
extreme temperature, drought).
• Resistance to viruses, fungi and bacteria
• Increased tolerance to insect pests.
• Increased tolerance of herbicides.
• Longer storage period for the harvested crop.
 THE 7 MAJOR STEPS IN PLANT
BREEDING
• Collection of variation
• Selection
• Evaluation
• Release
• Multiplication
• Distribution of the new variety
• Selling to people
 ADVANTAGES OF PLANT BREEDING
• Minimal land degradation
Land degradation is a major issue, as it can negatively impact the capability of the
land to be productive. Poor agricultural management has a huge impact on the
degradation of soil worldwide and it is Africa and Asia that are most affected.
Plant breeding allows for an increase in yield with out the extra strain on the land.
• Increased yield without expansion
With an increasing population, the production of food needs to increase with it. It
is estimated that a 70% increase in food production is needed by 2050 in order to
meet the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security. But with the natural
degradation of agricultural land, simply planting more crops is no longer a viable
option. Therefore, new varieties of plants need to be developed through plant
breeding that generates an increase of yield without relying on an increase in land
area. An example of this can be seen in Asia, where food production per capita
has increased twofold. This has been achieved through not only the use of
fertilisers, but through the use of better crops that have been specifically designed
for the area
• Breeding For Increased Nutritional Value
Plant breeding can contribute to global food security as it is a cost-effective
tool for increasing nutritional value of forage and crops.
• Breeding for tolerance
Plant breeding of hybrid crops has become extremely popular
worldwide in an effort to combat the harsh environment. With
long periods of drought and lack of water or nitrogen stress
tolerance has become a significant part of agriculture. Plant
breeders have focused on identifying crops which will ensure
crops perform under these conditions; a way to achieve this is
finding strains of the crop that is resistance to drought
conditions with low nitrogen. It is evident from this that plant
breeding is vital for future agriculture to survive as it enables
farmers to produce stress resistant crops hence improving food
security.
 DISADVANTAGE OF PLANT BREEDING
• DECREASE IN OTHER NUTRITION VALUES.
Modern plant breeding, whether classical or through genetic engineering,
comes with issues of concern, particularly with regard to food crops. The
question of whether breeding can have a negative effect on nutritional value
is central in this respect. Although relatively little direct research in this area
has been done, there are scientific indications that, by favoring certain
aspects of a plant's development, other aspects may be retarded. A study
published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2004, entitled
Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999,
compared nutritional analysis of vegetables done in 1950 and in 1999, and
found substantial decreases in six of 13 nutrients measured, including 6% of
protein and 38% of riboflavin.
• SAFETY
The debate surrounding genetically modified food during the
1990s peaked in 1999 in terms of media coverage and risk
perception, and continues today - for example, "Germany has
thrown its weight behind a growing European mutiny over
genetically modified crops by banning the planting of a widely
grown pest-resistant corn variety." The debate encompasses the
ecological impact of genetically modified plants, the safety of
genetically modified food and concepts used for safety
evaluation like substantial equivalence. Such concerns are not
new to plant breeding. Most countries have regulatory
processes in place to help ensure that new crop varieties
entering the marketplace are both safe and meet farmers'
needs. Examples include variety registration, seed schemes,
regulatory authorizations for GM plants, etc.