This comprehensive survey of modern plant breeding traces its history from the earliest experiments at the dawn of the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day and the existence of high tech agribusiness. Murphy tells the story from the perspective of a scientist working in this field, offering a rationale and evidence-based insight into its development. Crop improvement is examined from both a scientific and socio-economic perspective and the ways in which these factors interact and impact on agricultural development are discussed, including debates on genetically-modified food. Murphy highlights concerns over the future of plant breeding, as well as potential options to enable us to meet the challenges of feeding the world in the 21st century. This thoroughly interdisciplinary and balanced account serves as an essential resource for everyone involved with plant breeding research, policy and funding, as well as those wishing to engage with current debates.
Author(s): Denis Murphy
Edition: 1
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 452
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 17
Acknowledgements......Page 19
Using this book......Page 20
Industrial and developing countries......Page 21
Abbreviations and glossary......Page 22
Introduction......Page 31
Part I The science of plant breeding......Page 37
Introduction – the development of agriculture......Page 39
Non-intentional selection......Page 40
Variation and selection in breeding......Page 42
Pre-scientific empirical breeding......Page 46
Hybrids......Page 47
Mutations......Page 49
Quantitative genetics......Page 51
Introduction......Page 53
Maize and other intraspecific hybrids......Page 54
Intergenic hybrids – triticale, a new manmade crop species......Page 58
Radiation and chemical mutagenesis......Page 59
Somaclonal mutagenesis......Page 61
Mutagenesis – an acceptable technology for genetic manipulation?......Page 62
Wide crossing......Page 63
Wide crosses in rice......Page 64
Wide crosses in brassicas......Page 65
Introduction......Page 68
Chromosome doubling......Page 69
Mass propagation......Page 71
Somatic hybridisation......Page 72
Haploids and doubled haploids......Page 74
Sterile plant varieties......Page 75
Transgenesis......Page 76
Comparison with other technologies for variation enhancement......Page 77
Selecting non-visible traits......Page 79
DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS)......Page 81
New technologies for high-tech breeding......Page 83
Part II The societal context of plant breeding......Page 87
Introduction......Page 89
New technologies, old problems......Page 90
Agricultural research as a public good......Page 92
Emergence of public sector research in the USA......Page 93
Morrill and the land grant institutions......Page 95
The USDA and its botanisers......Page 98
Extension services......Page 101
Introduction......Page 103
The UK – a laissez-faire approach......Page 104
Rothamsted......Page 106
John Innes Centre......Page 107
Welsh Plant Breeding Station......Page 108
Cambridge Plant Breeding Institute......Page 109
Order versus chaos or control versus initiative?......Page 111
Introduction......Page 113
US philanthropy exported......Page 114
CIMMYT and wheat in Mexico......Page 116
IRRI and rice in the Philippines......Page 117
National research organisations......Page 118
The Green Revolution......Page 119
Wheat......Page 120
Rice......Page 123
Global impact......Page 124
The emergence of CGIAR in the 1970s......Page 125
Part III Turmoil and transition: the legacy of the 1980s......Page 129
Introduction......Page 131
A phoenix reborn......Page 133
Patents and breeders' rights......Page 135
The problem of broad claims......Page 140
Startups and multinationals......Page 142
Introduction......Page 145
Obsolescence and impoverishment......Page 148
Effects on breeding programmes......Page 151
Adapting crops to commercial agronomy......Page 152
A technology focus based on short-term profitability rather than long-term utility......Page 153
The private sector triumphant?......Page 155
Introduction......Page 156
Privatisation, integration and globalisation......Page 157
The Plant Breeding Institute......Page 160
The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service......Page 163
Aftermath of the UK privatisations......Page 164
The Anglosphere......Page 167
Europe......Page 168
Academisation of public research......Page 170
Academisation and research assessments......Page 172
Dangerous liaisons – partnerships with the private sector......Page 176
The penny drops......Page 179
Part IV The agbiotech paradigm......Page 185
Introduction......Page 187
Origins of a false premise......Page 190
Spot the difference?......Page 193
Gene transfer within and between plant genomes......Page 194
Genetic manipulation or manipulation of genomes?......Page 195
We are all genetic manipulators......Page 197
Agbiotech today – the worst of all possible worlds?......Page 198
A headless chicken?......Page 199
Rise and fall of the 'life-sciences' biotech business model......Page 202
Domination by the 'big four'......Page 203
Introduction......Page 208
Obsolete technologies?......Page 209
Selectable markers......Page 210
Transgene insertion......Page 212
Biological confinement......Page 214
Other technologies......Page 215
Management, segregation and other challenges......Page 216
Input traits......Page 219
Biotic stress tolerance......Page 220
Abiotic stress tolerance......Page 221
Output traits......Page 224
Enhanced vitamins......Page 225
Biofortification with essential minerals......Page 228
Improved oils......Page 229
The vision......Page 232
Flawed strategies......Page 233
Improved strategies......Page 236
Part V Increasing global crop production: the new challenges......Page 241
Introduction......Page 243
Population, economic growth and food production......Page 245
Targeting disadvantaged regions......Page 246
Economic growth and sustainability......Page 247
Expanding the area of crop cultivation......Page 249
Reclaiming abandoned and set-aside land......Page 251
South America......Page 252
Introduction......Page 256
Case study I: Malaysian oil palm......Page 257
Case study II: Ukraine and Vietnam......Page 260
Subsidies and tariffs stifle development......Page 263
Improved crop breeding......Page 265
What is the role of transgenic crops?......Page 267
Part VI Plant breeding in the twenty-first century......Page 269
Introduction......Page 271
Whither CGIAR?......Page 274
National research centres......Page 277
A decade of progress......Page 278
Partnerships with farmers......Page 279
Projects in India......Page 281
National and regional seed banks......Page 282
UC Davis and the Iranian National Seed Bank......Page 284
ICARDA and the Iraqi National Seed Bank......Page 285
WARDA in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia......Page 286
Rebuilding agriculture across the world......Page 287
The future of gene banks......Page 288
International patrimony or restricted property?......Page 289
A challenge from the USA......Page 290
A way forward?......Page 292
Introduction......Page 294
The seductive allure of basic research......Page 295
Rebalancing plant science research......Page 296
Why is the UK so anti-GM?......Page 299
The UK farm-scale evaluations......Page 301
Developing a sense of perspective......Page 304
Introduction......Page 306
Empowering and recruiting the private sector......Page 307
Diversifying and outsourcing......Page 308
Solving the IPR problem......Page 311
Open access technologies in plant breeding......Page 313
Re-entering the marketplace......Page 316
Domesticating new crops – an alternative to transgenesis......Page 318
Innovative applied R&D – the USA leads (again)......Page 320
Introduction......Page 324
Perspectives from the USA......Page 325
Late twenty-first century agriculture......Page 328
Seed banks......Page 330
Diversification......Page 331
Subsidies/tariffs......Page 332
Notes......Page 333
References......Page 396
Index......Page 441
