tenyésztés

Tenyésztés, or breeding, is the systematic development and propagation of organisms—animals or plants—through selective mating or vegetative propagation to enhance desirable traits such as productivity, health, resilience, or product quality.

It covers both animal breeding (livestock, pets) and plant or crop breeding (seed, fruit, ornamentals). Core principles include selecting breeders based on observable traits and genetic information, understanding heritability, planning matings to balance performance with genetic diversity, and avoiding excessive inbreeding that can reduce vigor and fertility.

Methods range from traditional controlled mating and artificial insemination to modern approaches such as crossbreeding, embryo transfer, vegetative propagation for plants, and, in some cases, molecular methods like marker-assisted or genomic selection and gene editing. The choice of method depends on species, goals, cost, and regulatory context.

History and context: tenyésztés has accompanied domestication for millennia, advancing with scientific genetics in the 20th century. Contemporary challenges include maintaining genetic diversity, animal welfare, and ethical considerations, as well as regulatory frameworks governing genetic modification and breeding practices.