Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes

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Standard

Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. / Weiner, Jacob.

In: Trends in Plant Science, Vol. 24, No. 10, 10.2019, p. 927-933.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Weiner, J 2019, 'Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes', Trends in Plant Science, vol. 24, no. 10, pp. 927-933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

APA

Weiner, J. (2019). Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. Trends in Plant Science, 24(10), 927-933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

Vancouver

Weiner J. Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. Trends in Plant Science. 2019 Oct;24(10):927-933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

Author

Weiner, Jacob. / Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. In: Trends in Plant Science. 2019 ; Vol. 24, No. 10. pp. 927-933.

Bibtex

@article{3f1a815196904dd481630e3a2cffeeab,
title = "Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes",
abstract = "A misunderstanding of evolution via natural selection has led many plant physiologists and genetic engineers to look in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. Large investments in attempts to make {\textquoteleft}better{\textquoteright} plants by improving basic physiological processes are not likely to succeed because natural selection has been optimizing these for millions of years. Increases in yield from plant breeding have usually resulted from decreases, not increases, in plant fitness. Examples include reduced plant height and more vertical root growth in cereals. Plant scientists and breeders should generate hypotheses based on what evolutionary biologists call {\textquoteleft}group selection{\textquoteright}, looking for attributes that increase yield in ways that decrease fitness, rather than attempting to improve upon the achievements of natural selection.",
keywords = "evolution, fitness, group selection, natural selection",
author = "Jacob Weiner",
note = "Acknowledgments This research was supported by the Natural Science Research Council of Denmark (grant 4181-00064). I thank M. Palmgren for encouraging me to write this paper, W. Wille for the idea behind Figure 1, and A. Cavalieri, J. Henle, S. Knapp, E. von Wettberg and three anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript.",
year = "2019",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001",
language = "English",
volume = "24",
pages = "927--933",
journal = "Trends in Plant Science",
issn = "1360-1385",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd. * Trends Journals",
number = "10",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes

AU - Weiner, Jacob

N1 - Acknowledgments This research was supported by the Natural Science Research Council of Denmark (grant 4181-00064). I thank M. Palmgren for encouraging me to write this paper, W. Wille for the idea behind Figure 1, and A. Cavalieri, J. Henle, S. Knapp, E. von Wettberg and three anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript.

PY - 2019/10

Y1 - 2019/10

N2 - A misunderstanding of evolution via natural selection has led many plant physiologists and genetic engineers to look in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. Large investments in attempts to make ‘better’ plants by improving basic physiological processes are not likely to succeed because natural selection has been optimizing these for millions of years. Increases in yield from plant breeding have usually resulted from decreases, not increases, in plant fitness. Examples include reduced plant height and more vertical root growth in cereals. Plant scientists and breeders should generate hypotheses based on what evolutionary biologists call ‘group selection’, looking for attributes that increase yield in ways that decrease fitness, rather than attempting to improve upon the achievements of natural selection.

AB - A misunderstanding of evolution via natural selection has led many plant physiologists and genetic engineers to look in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes. Large investments in attempts to make ‘better’ plants by improving basic physiological processes are not likely to succeed because natural selection has been optimizing these for millions of years. Increases in yield from plant breeding have usually resulted from decreases, not increases, in plant fitness. Examples include reduced plant height and more vertical root growth in cereals. Plant scientists and breeders should generate hypotheses based on what evolutionary biologists call ‘group selection’, looking for attributes that increase yield in ways that decrease fitness, rather than attempting to improve upon the achievements of natural selection.

KW - evolution

KW - fitness

KW - group selection

KW - natural selection

U2 - 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

DO - 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31358472

VL - 24

SP - 927

EP - 933

JO - Trends in Plant Science

JF - Trends in Plant Science

SN - 1360-1385

IS - 10

ER -

ID: 227568102