Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding

Section 6
Classic methods of plant breeding
Chapter 16 Breeding self-pollinated species
Chapter 17 Breeding cross-pollinated species
Chapter 18 Breeding hybrid cultivars
Methods of breeding (or precisely, methods of selection) crops vary according to the natural method of reproduction
of the species. Generally, there are two categories of breeding methods: those for self-pollinated species
and those for cross-pollinated species. In practice, there is no hard distinction between the two; breeders
crossover and use methods as they find useful. Furthermore, plant breeders may use a combination of several
methods in one breeding program, using one procedure at the beginning and switching to another along the
way. It should be mentioned also that the steps described in the various chapters for each selection method are
only suggested guidelines. Breeders may modify the steps, regarding the number of plants to select, the number
of generations to use, and other aspects of breeding, to suit factors such as budget and the nature of the trait
being improved.