FIGURE 4.

Application of development genetics to crop breeding. Developmental genetics can accelerate the rate of genetic gain for yield by influencing a number of factors in the breeding process. Selection efficiency and scale can be increased using molecular markers to inform choice of parents and to select progeny (1, 2). Knowledge of trait interactions can be used to balance trade-offs between selecting for increased yield and pleiotropic impacts on other traits (e.g., quality) to ensure that increasing yield is compatible with other selection constraints (3). Understanding how gene-environment interactions influence development can be used to precisely target selection for yield to suit specific growing regions or climates (4), maximizing achieved yield (“on farm” yield delivered in targeted growing environments). Finally, knowledge of phenology genes can be used to develop growth conditions for speed breeding (Watson et al., 2018) or transgene tools (Flachowsky et al., 2011) to accelerate the breeding cycle (5).