Plant breeding is the art and science of improving plant characteristics through the process of sexual reproduction. The goal of a plant breeder is to transfer genes from one plant to another and to select offspring that have superior growth, yield, pest and disease resistance, or some other desirable trait.

A plant breeder performing research at the Volcani Institute in Israel.

To achieve this goal the breeder often begins the breeding process using primitive or wild forms of a particular plant species. Through a process of repeated sexual crossing and selection of improved forms, the breeder gradually reaches the goal. Often the hybridization process is lengthy, requiring time for the seed to grow into a mature flowering plant, which can then be compared to a population of seedlings from previous crosses. The newly selected plant is again sexually crossed with other improved plant types and gradually the desired...