Minisymposium 5: 10,000 years of maize
Abs #
15003: Factors Driving Early Amerind Maize Breeding
Breeders intentionally manage the evolution and characteristics of plants and animals by directing and accelerating modifications and adaptations. Factors influencing success and the rate of that success include the genetic potential of the managed organisms, the explicit goals of breeders, and the understanding that breeders have of their managed organisms together with the skills the breeders have to transform the targeted characteristics of those organisms. Early maize breeders transformed a luxuriant grass into a species that provided a concentrated source of digestible calories. This was possible due to the high genetic plasticity of maize, the specific need for digestible calories available from reduced land area, and skilled selection practices.
