ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses plant breeding achievements in wheat, a self-pollinating species, and maize, a cross-pollinating species. It suggests that most of the research funds for crop improvement should continue to be used for conventional plant breeding research. The contributions of plant breeding research must be seen in the context of total research efforts to improve the effectiveness of agricultural production. Plant breeding, or genetic improvement, is but one element in a research triad that includes improvements through more effective crop husbandry and agronomic practices as well as more productive interactions between particular environments and genotypes. World population growth dictates in large measure the increases needed in food production. In the case of plant breeding, more than 50 years elapsed between initiation of the original genetic research and the time when the application of research results began to affect production significantly.
