What is the important step involved in developing new plant varieties?
Cultivating plants without any human intervention
Random selection of plants with desirable traits
Crossing of parent plants and selection of desirable traits
None of the above
Developing new plant varieties typically involves crossing parent plants with desirable traits and selecting the progeny that exhibit the desired characteristics. This process can be repeated over several generations to develop lines that are uniform and stable in their expression of the desired traits. These newly developed varieties are then tested and evaluated for their performance under different growing conditions and in comparison to existing varieties, before they are released for commercial production. The ultimate goal of developing new plant varieties is to improve crop productivity, yield, and quality, while also enhancing resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stressors. Therefore, option 3) is the correct answer .