Talking about crop breeding in society: myths and realities

Cover Image: Dr. Abebe Menkir (left in cover image), maize breeder and geneticist, IITA, with Bello Abu Bakkar (right), maize farmer and president of the Nigerian Maize Association. Photo by C. de Bode/CGIAR.

What is crop breeding? Is it an outdated science, or one that humanity needs more than ever? Who are the people behind it, and why does it matter?  

Crop breeding has been part of human history since the earliest days of crop domestication. Yet, as agriculture faces a changing climate, growing populations and evolving farmer and consumer needs, our science is changing too. 

So, what exactly is crop breeding, how does it work, and what does it take to develop a successful new variety? This guide explores some of the most common myths and realities about crop breeding: from why we need breeders to how varieties are developed, tested and ultimately planted in farmers' fields. 

Myth #1: Crops evolve naturally, so we don't need crop breeding 

Crops do evolve naturally – but slowly. To make plants more productive and nutritious, humanity has been intervening in this process since the dawn of agriculture by visually identifying plants with desirable traits, crossbreeding them, and choosing the best offspring over successive generations. 

Today, virtually every plant-based product has been shaped by plant breeders, whether for practical reasons - such as creating truly edible bananas –, for survival, – as during the Green Revolution – or, more recently, to help crops adapt to the challenges of climate change and a growing global population.  

Because natural evolution alone is too slow to keep pace with these challenges, modern breeding has turned this age-old process into a systematic science analyzing the genes of plants. 

The process remains the same, only faster and more efficient. Breeders identify genetic material with desirable characteristics -- such as higher yields, better taste or quality -- then carry out crosses and systematically evaluate successive generations to determine the most promising combination of traits, which they subsequently fix in a new variety. 

Myth #2: Breeders create varieties on their own 

In reality, developing a new variety takes a team. Breeders bring expertise to design, develop, selection and position new products, working alongside pathologists, behavioral scientists, geneticists…, as well as farmers, universities, governments, private companies and other partners. 

At CGIAR, breeding teams work together with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), the public organizations conducting agricultural research in partner countries.  

Alongside their breeding expertise, NARES bring in-depth knowledge of local environments, production systems, and the needs of farmers, processors, and consumers, all essential elements for developing varieties adapted to real-world conditions. 

From defining what a variety needs to deliver, to developing and testing it, producing seed and getting it into farmers’ fields, different partners contribute different expertise and capabilities along what we call the breeding product definition–development–delivery continuum. Breeding is not something breeders do alone, but a collaborative process in which each partner brings its comparative advantage.  

Myth #3: Breeding is only about increasing yields 

Outside the research station, a high-yielding variety isn't necessarily a successful variety. Farmers may need crops that mature earlier,  withstand drought, heat, pests or diseases; consumers may value taste, cooking quality or nutrition; processors or millers have their own requirements.  

Breeders therefore need to consider a wide range of essential traits and understand whose needs a variety is intended to meet.  

That’s why market intelligence, farmer, and stakeholder insights are key in breeding. They help breeding programs define clear priorities and develop varieties designed for specific needs, markets, and environments.  

Myth #4: One variety can meet everyone's needs 

Farmers grow crops in very different environments and for very different markets. A variety that performs well in one location or meets one consumer’s preference may not be the right choice elsewhere. That is why, within CGIAR, we define -- in collaboration with all our partners -- market segments and target product profiles, specifying the combination of traits a variety needs to succeed in a given market segment. 

At Breeding for Tomorrow, CGIAR’s Science Program guiding the work of our breeding Centers, we help breeding programs turn these diverse needs into clear breeding priorities. 

Myth #5: Once a variety is developed, the job is done 

A variety sitting in a breeding station doesn't feed anyone. It must undergo rigorous testing in trial plots and farmers' fields, receive official approval from country authorities, be multiplied, be made available as quality seed, and be adopted by farmers. Varietal selection is therefore only one step in the journey toward achieving a tangible impact. 

At CGIAR, Breeding for Tomorrow looks across the product definition–development–delivery continuum, working with numerous partners along the way to strengthen and focus breeding programs but also the seed systems needed to get improved varieties into farmers' hands. 

Myth #6: Climate change only affects crop yields   

Climate change changes much more than how much a crop yields. Rising temperatures, drought, floods and shifting pest and disease pressures can affect when crops are planted, how they grow, their nutritional quality, when and if they mature, and the characteristics farmers and markets value. 

This means breeding programs need to anticipate changing conditions rather than simply select for higher yields under today's conditions. CGIAR breeders are therefore developing varieties with combinations of traits – such as heat tolerance, drought resilience, disease resistance, nutritional quality and shorter growth cycles – that can help farmers adapt. 

Breeding for Tomorrow, but also other CGIAR Science Programs such as Climate Action, Better Diets and Nutrition, and Sustainable Farming all support breeding programs in anticipating changing needs and developing varieties fit for the environments and markets of tomorrow. 

Myth #7: Breeding is slow and outdated 

It is true that developing a new variety is a lengthy process. However, breeding is far from standing still. Advances in science and technology enable breeders to significantly accelerate the process, by leveraging a better understanding of genomics, faster and more precise evaluation and characterization methods – such the use of drones and digital imaging to analyze plants in the field -, etc. Genomic selection, speed breeding and digital tools help breeders evaluate more genetic material, make earlier decisions, and shorten the time required to develop new varieties.  

CGIAR breeding teams around the world are adopting these approaches while optimizing their working methods and skill sets. The goal is to further accelerate the selection process, and to make it more efficient and affordable, in the face of the threats to agriculture. 

Myth #8: AI and digital tools will replace breeders 

AI won't replace breeders, but it can help manage and interpret large data sets to make better decisions. From analyzing large genomic datasets to processing drone images of plants in the field to identify the most resilient ones, AI and digital tools already help breeders identify patterns and traits that are difficult and time-consuming to assess manually.  

But technology is only useful when it is embedded in effective workflows and responds to real needs.  

That’s why CGIAR breeding and digital transformation teams are continuously exploring how AI and digital technologies can strengthen breeding while keeping breeders, farmers and other users at the center of the process.  

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Learn more: 

• CGIAR: The architect of our plates: without crop breeding, they would be empty 
• CGIAR: Plant breeding is a critical tool in the fight against climate change 
• CGIAR: World-changing wheat 
• CGIAR: CGIAR and Google leverage AI to develop the crops the world needs the most 
• CGIAR: CGIAR’s digital and breeding entities team up for smarter crop innovation 
• Yu, H., Li, J. Breeding future crops to feed the world through de novo domestication. Nat Commun 13, 1171 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28732-8 
• Bayer: How Plant Breeding Works