New chemical method makes it easier to select desirable traits in crops

Crops increasingly need to thrive in a broader range of conditions, including drought, salinity, and heat. Traditional plant breeding can select for desirable traits, but is limited by the genetic variation that already exists in plants. In many crops, domestication and long-term selection have narrowed genetic diversity, constraining efforts to develop new varieties.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-chemical-method-easier-desirable-traits.html