Plant Breeding: An Art and Science of Modifying Plants for Human Benefits

Abstract

Plant breeding is one of the oldest human practices dated back to 10,000 years ago, with people selecting plants that have been more prolific and beneficial. The success of plant breeding matched the rise of civilizations, albeit the general public has not acknowledged this. It may be due to a misunderstanding of what plant breeding entails. Plant breeding developed over time never lost its essence as an art and science of modifying plants for human benefits. The review discussed the evolution of plant breeding concepts and procedures separated arbitrarily into selection based on phenotypes, breeding values, and genotypes. The phenotype would continue to be essential in the present and future, regardless of how large the pool of genetic information has grown in recent years.