Plant Breeding

The broad aims of current plant breeding programs have changed little from those of the past. Improvements in yield, quality, plant hardiness, and pest resistance are actively being sought. In addition, the ability of plants to survive increasing intensities of ultraviolet radiation, due to damage in the ozone layer, and to respond favorably to elevated atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are being assessed. To widen the available gene pools, collections of cultivars and wild relatives of major crop species have been organized at an international level. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supported the formation of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources in 1974. However, many cultivars popular in the nineteenth century have already fallen into disuse and been lost. The need to conserve remaining "heritage" varieties has been taken up by associations of enthusiasts in many countries, such as the Seed Savers' Exchange in the United States