Concepts for the application of crop physiological models to crop breeding

Many difficulties in the plant breeding process may be attributed to genotype by environment interactions. The present solutions to many of these problems are scientifically empirical and economically costly. Crop physiological models have the potential to be a tool in improving the plant breeding process. The challenge in applying crop models to breeding has been getting the data needed for these models. For simulation models the input parameters generally are very extensive, which means that they cannot be applied to selection among tlie large numbers of lines handled in a breeding program. However, simpler crop physiological models involving only a few parameters, derived from nondestructive observation, have the potential to greatly improve the efficiency of breeding processes without major changes in data capture and processing capabilities. The techniques advocated can be applied to both improving selection techniques and exploiting the lines generated