Preface

Plant breeding, as one of the most popular agricultural technologies, has played a significant role in the development of human civilizations. Conventional plant breeding has significantly improved crop yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to the environment by selecting new varieties, thereby contributing to agricultural production and social development. In modern agriculture, plant breeding has been widely applied. As the genetic diversity of the varieties used gradually decreases, the bottleneck effect of traditional breeding is becoming increasingly apparent, and it is difficult to cultivate breakthrough new varieties using conventional breeding techniques. The innovation of biotechnology has greatly promoted the development of modern breeding. With the development of molecular biology, genomics, systems biology, synthetic biology, and biotechnology, design breeding technology has emerged and developed rapidly.

This book presents the latest findings and research on the theories, strategies, and technologies of plant breeding. It includes nineteen chapters organized into four sections. The first section, "Genetic Resources for Plant Breeding", includes one chapter covering the basic information and are view of plant genetic resources for plant breeding. The second section, "Breeding Theory and Strategy", discusses basic, traditional, and modern strategies for plant breeding. The third section, "Breeding Practice and Cases", presents some reviews and case studies. The final section, "The Perspective for Plant Breeding", discusses the latest technologies and development trends in plant breeding.

I would like to extend thanks to all authors who contributed to this book. My sincere thanks also to Author Service Manager Ms. Ana Cink at IntechOpen for her assistance throughout the publication process.

> **Haiping Wang** Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

**1**

Section 1

Genetic Resources for Plant

Breeding
