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The constant aim of plant breeding is to improve the quality, diversity and
performance of agricultural and horticultural crops. The overriding objective is to
develop plants better adapted to human needs.
The origins of plant breeding stretch back thousands of years to the first farmers who
selected the best plants in one year to provide seed for the next crop. Recent scientific
and technological developments have allowed a much greater rate of improvement and
today plant breeding in the UK is a sophisticated high investment business.
Plant breeding remains a vital industry to keep Britain competitive on world markets. The
need for new varieties, adapted to our unique growing conditions, is never ending, driven
by the challenges of new disease and pest pressures, changing market requirements and
shifts in the demands society places on agriculture.
To learn more about the business and science of plant breeding, click here.
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