Ever since mankind began farming, the best plants have been selected from harvest for replanting the following season. But it wasn’t until the mid-1800s, when an Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel began fiddling with pea plants in his garden, that anyone started thinking about plant breeding scientifically.
Mendel wondered how plants came to have certain characteristics, such as size, color, and shape. This led him to speculate about the relationship between these external features and what he called “invisible factors” on the inside. Today, we know these as genes.
Today, when students first encounter genetics in biology class, they are studying concepts that haven’t changed much in more than 100 years. These concepts, like dominant and recessive traits and crossbreeding, provide the foundation for modern plant breeding.
Today, when students first encounter genetics in biology class, they are studying concepts that haven’t changed much in more than 100 years. These concepts, like dominant and recessive traits and crossbreeding, provide the foundation for modern plant breeding.
The importance of breeding in agriculture can’t be overstated. Many of our leaps forward in farming have been linked to the evolution of breeding methods, from the original domestication of plants centuries ago, to the introduction of localized, soil-specific varieties in modern times.
Today, plant breeding provides the foundation for seed science. Plant breeding techniques also help contribute to the incredible efficiency of modern agriculture. A breeder’s goal is to find solutions for many different regions, soil types, and climates. They use their knowledge of seed genetics to make selections that combine the best features of two parent plants.
Today, plant breeding provides the foundation for seed science. Plant breeding techniques also help contribute to the incredible efficiency of modern agriculture. A breeder’s goal is to find solutions for many different regions, soil types, and climates. They use their knowledge of seed genetics to make selections that combine the best features of two parent plants.
A new generation of digital tools, like advanced software and data analytics, also supports modern plant breeding. These tools help scientists acquire a better understanding of a plant’s DNA, so they can be more precise in identifying and implementing new solutions. These solutions can help improve the accessibility of new seed products for farmers.
Data analytics allow breeders to identify and select valuable seeds and traits earlier in their development work, so they can spend more time focusing on how those plants perform in field testing. This has the potential to lead to more precision in how farmers use water, nutrients, soil, and energy.
Data analytics allow breeders to identify and select valuable seeds and traits earlier in their development work, so they can spend more time focusing on how those plants perform in field testing. This has the potential to lead to more precision in how farmers use water, nutrients, soil, and energy.
These new technologies are helping today’s plant scientists continue Mendel’s work. By building on basic principles like plant breeding, the industry is equipping farmers to continue to provide food while reducing their impact on the environment and natural resources.
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