Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes

Pasture and forage plant breeding is complicated by the perennial nature of the plants, the diversity of environments in which improved cultivars will be used, and the complex criteria of merit involved, criteria that necessarily include some measure of impact on the efficiency of animal production....

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Main Author: Miles, John W.
Format: Conference Paper
Language:Inglés
Published: Brazilian Society of Animal Husbandry 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56012
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author Miles, John W.
author_browse Miles, John W.
author_facet Miles, John W.
author_sort Miles, John W.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Pasture and forage plant breeding is complicated by the perennial nature of the plants, the diversity of environments in which improved cultivars will be used, and the complex criteria of merit involved, criteria that necessarily include some measure of impact on the efficiency of animal production. While pasture plant breeding in the temperate zone is a demonstrably productive activity, the record of success for the tropical species --"success" measured by release and adoption of bred cultivars --is less convincing, in spite of four decades of activity in numerous public sector breeding programs and a large published literature. The difference is at least partly owing to the less developed state of pasture research in general in the tropics. More specifically, the reasons for the lack of success of tropical pasture plant breeding can be classified as: i) inadequate understanding of the socioeconomic environment in which the bred cultivars are to be used, ii) inadequate level and stability of institutional support, and iii) inherent biological obstacles. It appears that in most cases the biological obstacles, while sometimes formidable, are the least constraining to success. Until responsibility for tropical pasture plant breeding is assumed by the private sector (as it largely has been in the temperate zone) the single factor that would most improve chances of success (or at least avoid many of the failures) is intimate contact and constant communication between the public sector plant breeder and the seed industry that is the vehicle for diffusion of his new bred cultivars.
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spelling CGSpace560122024-01-09T09:48:05Z Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes Miles, John W. plant breeding genetics feed crops varieties innovation adoption fitomejoramiento genética plantas forrajeras variedades adopción de innovaciones Pasture and forage plant breeding is complicated by the perennial nature of the plants, the diversity of environments in which improved cultivars will be used, and the complex criteria of merit involved, criteria that necessarily include some measure of impact on the efficiency of animal production. While pasture plant breeding in the temperate zone is a demonstrably productive activity, the record of success for the tropical species --"success" measured by release and adoption of bred cultivars --is less convincing, in spite of four decades of activity in numerous public sector breeding programs and a large published literature. The difference is at least partly owing to the less developed state of pasture research in general in the tropics. More specifically, the reasons for the lack of success of tropical pasture plant breeding can be classified as: i) inadequate understanding of the socioeconomic environment in which the bred cultivars are to be used, ii) inadequate level and stability of institutional support, and iii) inherent biological obstacles. It appears that in most cases the biological obstacles, while sometimes formidable, are the least constraining to success. Until responsibility for tropical pasture plant breeding is assumed by the private sector (as it largely has been in the temperate zone) the single factor that would most improve chances of success (or at least avoid many of the failures) is intimate contact and constant communication between the public sector plant breeder and the seed industry that is the vehicle for diffusion of his new bred cultivars. 2001 2015-01-28T14:22:05Z 2015-01-28T14:22:05Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56012 en Open Access Brazilian Society of Animal Husbandry Miles, John W. 2001. Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes. IN: Proceedings of the XIX International Grassland Congress, São Paulo, Brazil, 11-21 February 2001. San Pedro: Brazilian Society of Animal Husbandry: 509-515.
spellingShingle plant breeding
genetics
feed crops
varieties
innovation adoption
fitomejoramiento
genética
plantas forrajeras
variedades
adopción de innovaciones
Miles, John W.
Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title_full Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title_fullStr Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title_full_unstemmed Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title_short Achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
title_sort achievements and perspectives in the breeding of tropical grasses and legumes
topic plant breeding
genetics
feed crops
varieties
innovation adoption
fitomejoramiento
genética
plantas forrajeras
variedades
adopción de innovaciones
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/56012
work_keys_str_mv AT milesjohnw achievementsandperspectivesinthebreedingoftropicalgrassesandlegumes