prebreeding

Prebreeding is the phase in plant breeding that focuses on transferring useful traits from unadapted or wild germplasm into a form that can be readily used by mainstream breeders. The goal is to widen the genetic base of cultivated crops and to introgress traits such as disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, or quality attributes while maintaining acceptable agronomic performance. Prebreeding materials, including bridging populations and introgression lines, are created so that subsequent breeding cycles can combine desirable traits with high yield and adaptability.

The process typically begins with the collection and characterization of diverse germplasm, followed by crosses with adapted cultivars or existing lines. The offspring undergo several generations of selection and backcrossing to recover desirable agronomic traits while retaining the target trait from the donor. Because many valuable traits come with unfavorable linkages, the aim is to minimize linkage drag and produce lines that breeders can readily incorporate into breeding programs.

Modern prebreeding employs both phenotypic evaluation across environments and genotypic tools such as molecular markers, marker-assisted backcrossing, and genomic selection to accelerate introgression. Techniques such as embryo rescue, chromosome engineering, and the development of doubled haploids may be used to overcome barriers to crossing and speed up fixation of alleles.

The resulting prebreeding materials are used as sources of new variation in breeding programs or stored in germplasm banks for long-term use. Prebreeding enhances genetic diversity, helps breeders address emerging stresses, and contributes to the development of new cultivars with improved resilience and productivity.