AFRI’s Plant Breeding and Cultivar Development programs fund critical research leading to the release of improved crop varieties. The new crop varieties have better productivity, quality, and tolerance to environmental variability.
AFRI support for breeding includes fundamental research on applied quantitative genetics, genetic engineering, modeling, and artificial intelligence for breeding purposes. Research to develop improved crop varieties helps to protect the livelihoods of farmers, conserve natural resources, and provide safe and abundant sources of food, fuel, and fiber.
U.S. Department of Agriculture