Biologia Texto : Plant breeders and Geneticists: The professional range

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Plant breeders and Geneticists: The professional range

15/02/09

Plant breeders and geneticists apply a range of techniques to produce new and improved varieties of plants for cultivation and use. Such improvements include yield, disease resistance, maturation time, nutritional value and various physical and physiological characteristics.
This is a constantly evolving and competitive area. There is a continuous need for new varieties to adapt to changing growing conditions, consumer demands and shifts in agricultural or environmental policies. The job combines the traditional work of crossing existing plants and ing new strains, with the expertise of the plant geneticist and biotechnologist. Roles vary between academic, research and commercial settings.
The roles of breeders and geneticists in the improvement of biological plants are develop superior genotypes or desirable genotypic combinations that lead to the emergence of new varieties or cultivars. Works of breeding are scarce or even nonexistent for most species, which envisions a universe to be discovered. So, are attributes of plant breeders:

1) Practice in genetics and plant breeding,
2) Hold knowledge in various areas related to their profession,
3) Knowing the culture to be worked,
4) Have vision and sense of urgency,
5) Set clear targets and objectively,
6) Have the ability to organize research, establish priorities, maximizing gains and minimizing losses on the use of available resources,
7) Have ability to careful observation,
8) Have curiosity, flexibility, intuition, patience and persistence in the manipulation of genetic resources,
9) Have ability to communicate with the scientific communities,
10) Multiplying up and producing virus-free plants, using tissue culture for field trials.

A geneticist or biotechnologist would be more laboratory-based, using advanced and sophisticated molecular biology techniques to study and manipulate genes, including DNA transfer within or between species. Developing a new variety can take up to 12 years, or even longer. Time is spent: 1. ing plants with desired attributes and assessing them for yield, disease resistance and end-user quality; 2. Purifying and multiplying seed of the most promising samples for entry to official trials. Breeders have developed ways to enhance the speed, accuracy and scope of the breeding process, using artificial growth facilities and modern laboratory techniques, such as the use of DNA markers (genetic fingerprinting). Genetic engineering can produce significant changes in crop characteristics and value in a single generation and has the potential to make the breeding process quicker and more efficient. The ongoing debate about genetically modified food and crops is likely to have a significant effect on the future of plant breeding in the UK.

Lyra, D. H, v.1, n°2. 2009.