Breeding by design

Abstract

Breeding by Design is a concept that aims to control all allelic variation for all genes of agronomic importance. This concept can be achieved through a combination of precise genetic mapping, high-resolution chromosome haplotyping and extensive phenotyping. Thanks to marker technology, software tools and the know-how available today, this goal can now be achieved. Depending on the crop-specific generation time, controlled marker-assisted selection strategies could lead to the production of superior varieties within five to ten years.