Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes

Jacob Weiner

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

Looking in the wrong direction for higher-yielding crop genotypes

Jacob Weiner

SOBI

14 Citationer (Scopus)

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 ‘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.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Trends in Plant Science
Vol/bind	24
Udgave nummer	10
Sider (fra-til)	927-933
ISSN	1360-1385
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001
Status	Udgivet - okt. 2019

Emneord

evolution
fitness
group selection
natural selection

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.001

Citationsformater

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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.",

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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.

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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.

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