Plant Breeding & Genetics
Genetic improvement of crops, from classical breeding to genomics.
Plant breeding develops new crop varieties with higher yield, better quality, disease resistance or tolerance to environmental stress. It combines classical crossing and selection with quantitative genetics, which estimates how much of a trait's variation is heritable.
Modern breeding relies heavily on molecular tools: genetic mapping and marker-assisted selection, genome sequencing, genomic selection, tissue culture, and genetic modification or genome editing - the latter regulated very differently from country to country.
Typical research questions
- Which genes and genomic regions control yield, quality and resistance traits?
- How much faster can genomic selection deliver genetic gain than phenotypic selection?
- How can genetic diversity from landraces and wild relatives be used in breeding?
- What do new breeding techniques change in practice, and how are they regulated?
Publications per year
Papers whose main topic belongs to this field, 2010–2025.
Research fronts: fastest-growing topics
Papers 2024–2025 compared with 2021–2022, topics with at least 500 recent papers.
| Topic | 2021–2022 | 2024–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Practices and Plant GeneticsOkra Genetics · Breeding · Genetic Variability · Antioxidant Properties | 2,014 | 2,904 | +44% |
| Plant Gene Expression AnalysisFlavonoid Biosynthesis · Transcription Factors · MYB · WRKY | 3,297 | 3,883 | +18% |
| Transgenic Plants and ApplicationsPlant Molecular Farming · Recombinant Proteins · Biopharmaceuticals · Vaccine Antigens | 1,844 | 2,137 | +16% |
| Genetics and Plant BreedingCultivar Evaluation · Genotype-by-Environment Interaction · Biplot Analysis · Plant Breeding | 2,782 | 2,938 | +6% |
| Genetically Modified Organisms ResearchGenetically Modified Crops · Biotechnology · Food Safety · Environmental Risk Assessment | 1,482 | 1,555 | +5% |
| Plant Genetic and Mutation StudiesMutation Breeding · TILLING · Induced Mutations · Functional Genomics | 1,696 | 1,742 | +3% |
Largest topics
By number of papers 2024–2025.
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchPlant · Development · MicroRNA · Auxin 7,356
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationPlant Secondary Metabolites · Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation · Elicitation · Somatic Embryogenesis 6,886
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and PathologyWheat · Genetics · Breeding · Disease Resistance 4,121
- Plant Gene Expression AnalysisFlavonoid Biosynthesis · Transcription Factors · MYB · WRKY 3,883
- Chromosomal and Genetic VariationsGenome Evolution · Polyploidy · Transposable Elements · Plant Speciation 3,625
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and AnimalsQuantitative Trait Loci · Genome-wide Association Studies · Genetic Mapping · Crop Improvement 3,296
Highly cited recent papers
Most-cited articles and reviews published 2024–2025. Citation counts favor reviews and papers published early in the window.
- Plant-Derived Natural Products: A Source for Drug Discovery and Development
- High Efficiency In vitro Whole Plant Regeneration via Desiccated Callus in Oryza sativa cv. MTU1010
- The Role of Polyphenols in Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Their Antioxidant Properties to Scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species and Free Radicals
- A compendium of genetic regulatory effects across pig tissues
- Artificial intelligence in plant breeding
- Plant organellar genomes: much done, much more to do
Study programs in this field
- Plant Sciences Master Wageningen University & Research · Netherlands Taught in English
- Plant Biotechnology Master Wageningen University & Research · Netherlands
- Integrated Plant and Animal Breeding (iPAB) Master University of Göttingen · Germany
- Biotechnology (English program) Bachelor Cairo University · Egypt Taught in English
- Agronomy and Horticulture Bachelor IPB University · Indonesia