5.10 Breeding plants

Understand that plants with desired characteristics can be developed by selective breeding

Selective breeding 


1. 

• decide which characteristics are important/desired
• choose parents that show these characteristics
• select the best offspring from parents to breed the next generation
• repeat the process continuously. 

2. Crop plants are bred to produce strains that:

• give higher yields 
• are resistant to certain diseases
• are resistant to insect pest damage
• are hardier (so that they survive harsher climates or are productive for longer periods of the year)
• have a better balance of nutrients in the crop