Question

 What are the aims of crop improvement?

Answer 1

Hint:Crop improvement refers to the steps or measures taken to improve the yield and quality of the plant. It becomes essential for the sustainability of the farmlands and to meet the demands of increasing crops and various products produced from them.

Complete step by step answer:
Crop improvement can be achieved efficiently in the science of agriculture, newly invented technologies, and the learnings from the farmer’s experience are combined.
The main aims of the crop improvement are as follows
1) Higher yield: The yield of the crops can be increased by allowing cross-breeding and hybridization of several plants. This can give a better yield per unit of land.
2) Improved quality: The size, taste, color, nutritional value of the crops can be improved or increased with the help of soil and crop productivity knowledge.
3) Climatic adaptability: Crops should be developed that can withstand the abiotic stresses like changing climate, heat, cold, drought, etc. this can provide better quality and higher yield.
4) Resistance to diseases: Crops should be developed such that they can withstand the biotic stresses like crop diseases due to many insects and pests. Resistance to disease can lead to an increase in the yield and quality of the crop too.
5) Increase in supply: The needs of the demand can be fulfilled by proper planning, understanding the soil fertility, and using technology for the harvest. An increase in the yield of the plant can help to meet the demands.
6) Increase in variety of crops and improving soil fertility: Various crops or seasonal crops should be grown to increase the variety. The crop rotation also leads to an increase in soil fertility.

Note:
Genetically modified plants are grown with the help of recombinant DNA technology. Examples of genetically modified plants are Bt-cotton and Bt-brinjal. This allows the insect resistance to the plant and improves the yield.