Abstract
Plant breeding has been defined by Nikolai I. Vavilov as plant evolution directed by man (Sanchez-Monge, 1993). Selection has been the essence of the overall science of plant breeding through the identification of elite germplasm and the combined application of methods available to the breeder. Evolution (via natural selection) and domestication (via artificial selection) created and improved the crop plant species that are so important for human survival. Ever since the potential of certain plant species as food sources was recognized, selection has been practiced for more productive plant types. Particularly in maize, in addition to great advances achieved by domestication and early empirical breeding, significant improvements have been made by changes in breeding methods that have occurred mainly during the past 100 years. New and old selection methods, for the genetic improvement of maize still are important in increasing food production. Applied plant breeding programs and their targeted selection methods will allow the continuous production of more efficient cultivars which can maintain a sustainable production without the requirement of expensive inputs. Public breeding programs focus on not only short-term research goals but also long-term improvement of germplasm. Even though the product (e.g., hybrid, pure line) is the goal, some of the breeding strategies used for long-term selection are neglected. Long-term genetic improvement is needed for the success of short-term products. Future genetic gains are dependent on the deployment of useful genetic diversity carried out in the public sector (Smith, 2007).
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Hallauer, A.R., Carena, M.J., Filho, J.B.M. (2010). Selection: Theory. In: Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding. Handbook of Plant Breeding, vol 6. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0766-0_6
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