Question

Scientists sometimes work on research to create better plants. These plants have traits that are more useful to people than are the traits found in wild plants. A scientist might start by choosing a trait to change. Then, the scientist must decide on a breeding strategy to change that trait. If the scientist chooses a good trait and a good strategy, the result might be a new and more useful plant. Imagine for a moment that you are about to start working on a similar project. Explain your self in a paragraph or 2 of no less that 5 sentences.

Question — Identify one trait of a plant that could be changed by selective breeding.


Question — Explain how the change you describe would make the plant more useful.

Answer 1

One plant trait that can be enhanced through selective breeding is drought resistance, making plants more useful by allowing them to thrive in arid regions and improving food security.

Step-by-step explanation:

One trait of a plant that could be changed by selective breeding is drought resistance. Increasing a plant's ability to survive with minimal water would make the plant more useful, especially in arid regions where water is scarce. To create a drought-resistant plant, a breeding strategy might involve crossbreeding existing plant varieties that show some level of drought tolerance and selecting offspring that thrive in low-water conditions for further breeding. Through successive generations, the trait for drought resistance could become more pronounced, yielding a plant variety that requires less irrigation, which is beneficial for sustainability and for farmers operating in drought-prone areas.

The change described would enable the cultivation of crops in regions that are currently not suitable for agriculture, improving food security and reducing reliance on water resources. These changes could contribute meaningly to agricultural practices by producing hardier plants that maintain productivity during periods of environmental stress. As such, selective breeding for drought resistance is a practical approach to adapt to changing climate conditions and to ensure a stable food supply.

Answer 2

question one: Things such as the size of the edible part of a plant can be increased by only pollinating the plants with the largest edible areas with the other plant with the second largest, etcetera.

question two: the plant would be more size efficient, and easier to farm for profit as less plants would be required to make the same amount of edible product, and more would be able to be produced in general