Genetics of crop improvement

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. Man has been engaged in the genetic manipulation of crop plants for millennia. At its most elemental level, plant genetic manipulation has three requirements: (1) a source of genetic variability that can be utilized for plant improvement; (2) methods for propagating desirable plant genotypes; and (3) strategies for the transfer and selection of useful genes or genecombinations. The modern science of genetics has provided many new approaches to each of these three aspects of plant improvement. Modern plant genetics has also led to a variety of environmental, political and economic problems. These problems include the loss of valuable plant genetic resources, the widespread adoption of monocultures that may be unstable in the face of pathogen epidemics, and the current political debates concerning the regulation and environmental implications of plant genetic engineering. It is impossible tojudge these and related issues without a basic understanding of the ways in which genetics is applied in improving crop plants. The goal of this article is to provide an account of the applications of plant genetics in crop improvement. © 1986 by the American Society of Zoologists.