A farmer selects only high-yield crops for breeding. What is the genetic impact?
Selecting only high-yield crops leads to increased expression of desirable traits but reduces genetic diversity over time.
Key Effects
| Effect | Impact | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Trait Improvement | Higher yield | Desired genes become more common |
| Reduced Diversity | Genetic narrowing | Fewer variations remain in population |
| Uniformity | Similar crops | Plants become genetically alike |
| Risk Increase | Vulnerability | Same crops can be affected by one disease |
Stepwise Understanding
Farmer selects plants with high yield
These plants are used for breeding
Their genes become more frequent in next generations
Other variations are gradually lost
Population becomes more uniform
Important Concept
Selective breeding improves specific traits but can reduce genetic variation.
Real Insight
If all crops are genetically similar, a single pest or disease can damage entire crop, which is a major risk in farming.
So while yield improves, long term stability may decrease due to reduced diversity.