Conventional vs. modern breeding techniques

Back to: Botany 400 Level

My brilliant Afrilearn botanist, how body today? I dey happy say you show up again — that na the spirit wey go carry you far! Today we wan gist about something wey affect the type of food we chop every day but we hardly think about am: conventional and modern breeding techniques. From the sweet corn for your mama’s pot to the improved rice wey no dey fall during heavy rain — plant breeding dey behind the scenes making all of them possible.

Conventional vs. modern breeding techniques

Have you ever wondered how our local farmers know the exact yam to replant next season? Or how improved varieties of maize and rice come about? That’s because of plant breeding — the science of selecting and producing better plants with desirable traits like high yield, disease resistance, or drought tolerance. But over the years, scientists don move from traditional ways of breeding to more advanced, modern methods using technology. This lesson go break down the difference between conventional and modern breeding techniques in a way wey go make perfect sense to you.

 

 

Conventional Breeding Techniques

This na the oldest method of breeding, and e involve selecting the best plants and crossing them to get better offspring. It’s more like matchmaking in the village — pairing the strong with the strong to produce stronger children.

Some key techniques include:

1. Selection – Choosing plants with good traits like big fruits or pest resistance.
   
2. Hybridisation – Crossbreeding two different plants to combine their strengths. For example, crossing a drought-tolerant maize with one that yields plenty.
   
3. Backcrossing – Repeatedly crossing offspring with one parent to maintain a specific trait.
   
4. Mutation Breeding – Exposing seeds to chemicals or radiation to induce useful mutations.
   

Challenges:

• It takes plenty time — sometimes 10 to 15 years to produce a new variety.
  
• It’s limited by nature — you can only cross plants that are sexually compatible.
  
• Sometimes, unwanted traits go follow enter the new variety.
  

 

 

Modern Breeding Techniques

This one na upgrade. With science and computer technology, scientists now dey go directly into the DNA of plants to change things precisely, without waiting for nature to do trial and error.

Some common techniques:

1. Genetic Engineering – Adding, removing or altering specific genes. For example, inserting a gene that helps rice resist flood.
   
2. Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) – Using DNA markers to identify desirable traits quickly.
   
3. Genome Editing (like CRISPR) – Editing parts of the plant’s DNA like editing text on your phone — precise and fast.
   
4. Tissue Culture – Growing many plants from a single cell in a lab to make sure they all have the same good quality.
   

Benefits:

• It’s faster — sometimes just 2–3 years. 
• You can transfer traits across species. Imagine putting a gene from a bacteria into a plant to make it resist insects!
  
• More accurate — reduces chances of unwanted traits showing up.
  

• In Nigeria, scientists used conventional breeding to produce early-maturing cowpea varieties that help farmers harvest faster before pests attack.
  
• Modern breeding has helped create genetically modified cassava rich in vitamin A to reduce blindness in children due to deficiency.
  

Summary

• Conventional breeding uses natural methods like selection and crossing; it’s time-consuming but still effective.
  
• Modern breeding uses advanced tools like DNA editing and marker selection to speed up and improve accuracy.
  
• Both methods aim to solve real problems: hunger, crop failure, pests, and climate stress.
  

Evaluation

1. What is the main difference between conventional and modern breeding?
   
2. Mention two techniques used in conventional plant breeding.
   
3. Which modern method allows editing a plant’s DNA directly?
   
4. Why is modern breeding faster than conventional breeding?
   

See how far you don go! Understanding the difference between conventional and modern breeding techniques na big step in preparing for the future of agriculture in Africa. You’re not just learning — you’re becoming part of the solution. Afrilearn is proud of your journey and can’t wait to see what you go achieve next. Keep pushing — your greatness dey shine already!

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