Reflection on the limitations of modern plant breeding
The following is a review of and reaction to the following paper: Extending Darwin’s Analogy: Bridging Difference in Concepts of Selection between Farmers, Biologist, and Plant Breeders by DA Cleveland and D Soleri
As an aspiring plant breeder, following the traditional route in academia, you learn about both the theory and practice of modern day plant breeding. Likely one will come across the works of Darwin and Mendel, as they are the fathers of this revolution in plant breeding (i.e., they provided the foundation on which ‘scientific selection’ stands upon). This paper attempts to question this foundation, by comparing our modern day assumptions with ideologies of traditional farmers.
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