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🥀intro to botany review

Crop improvement

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Crop improvement is the science and practice of enhancing the quality and yield of crops through various methods, including plant breeding and hybridization. This process aims to develop new varieties that can better withstand diseases, pests, and environmental stresses, while also increasing nutritional value and productivity. Crop improvement plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and sustainability in agriculture.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Crop improvement can be achieved through traditional methods like selective breeding or modern techniques such as genetic engineering.
  2. Hybridization involves crossing two different plant varieties to create a new variety with desirable traits from both parents.
  3. One goal of crop improvement is to increase resistance to biotic stresses like diseases and pests, which can significantly reduce crop yields.
  4. Improved crop varieties can lead to higher nutritional content, addressing malnutrition issues in populations dependent on staple crops.
  5. Sustainable crop improvement practices focus on minimizing environmental impacts while maximizing agricultural productivity.

Review Questions

  • How does selective breeding contribute to the process of crop improvement?
    • Selective breeding contributes to crop improvement by allowing farmers and scientists to choose specific plants with desired traits, such as drought resistance or higher yield. By cross-pollinating these selected plants, the offspring inherit those advantageous characteristics. This method has been used for centuries to enhance various crops and is a fundamental approach in traditional agricultural practices.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using genetic modification in crop improvement.
    • Genetic modification offers significant advantages in crop improvement, including the ability to create plants that are resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. This can lead to higher yields and reduced reliance on chemical pesticides. However, it also has disadvantages, such as potential ecological impacts, concerns about food safety, and ethical considerations regarding the manipulation of natural organisms.
  • Evaluate the impact of hybrid vigor on crop yield and agricultural sustainability.
    • Hybrid vigor can significantly enhance crop yield by producing plants that grow faster, are more resilient, and yield more than their parent varieties. This increased productivity can contribute to agricultural sustainability by optimizing land use and reducing resource input per unit of food produced. However, reliance on hybrids may require farmers to continuously purchase new seeds each season, raising questions about long-term sustainability and farmer independence.