Several discoveries in the science of breeding berries were made in the 18th century by Antoine Nicolas Duchesne in his work on strawberries. In the traditional technique of plant breeding, berries with specific desirable characteristics were chosen and allowed to sexually reproduce with other berries, and offspring with improved traits could then be selected and used for further crossing. Plants may be hybridized with different species within the same genus; hybridization between different genus may also be possible, but more difficult. Breeding may seek to increase the size and yield of the fruit, improve the flavor and quality of its nutrient content, such as antioxidants, expand the harvest season, and produce cultivars with resistance to diseases, tolerance of hot or cold conditions, and other desirable traits. Advancements in molecular biology and genetic engineering allow for a more efficient and better targeted approach in the selection for a desirable genotype, via marker-assisted selection, for example. Genetic modification techniques can also be used for breeding berries.
Several discoveries in the science of breeding berries were made in the 18th century by Antoine Nicolas Duchesne in his work on strawberries In the traditional technique of plant breeding berries with specific desirable characteristics were chosen and allowed to sexually reproduce with other berries and offspring with improved traits could then be selected and used for further crossing Plants may be hybridized with different species within the same genus; hybridization between different genus may also be possible but more difficult Breeding may seek to increase the size and yield of the fruit improve the flavor and quality of its nutrient content such as antioxidants expand the harvest season and produce cultivars with resistance to diseases tolerance of hot or cold conditions and other desirable traits Advancements in molecular biology and genetic engineering allow for a more efficient and better targeted approach in the selection for a desirable genotype via marker-assisted selection for example Genetic modification techniques can also be used for breeding berries