Plant breeding is the science of maximizing positive genetic traits in plants that people grow. It consists of analytical frameworks that allow researchers to create and select plants that are consistently outstanding in desired traits. The central objective in plant breeding is to improve the genetic basis of commercial crop species to comply with changing demands on yield and quality. Statistics plays a key role in modern plant breeding. A classical quantitative genetic model writes the phenotype as an outcome of genetic, environmental and genotype by environment interaction effects.

More than 60 plant breeding companies, based in the UK, are active across the entire spectrum of plant species used for food, feed and energy. Plant breeding makes a significant contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product and to the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s food economy.

Plants are extremely important in the lives of people throughout the world. People depend upon plants to satisfy such basic human needs as food, clothing, shelter, and health care. These needs are growing rapidly because of a growing world population, increasing incomes, and urbanization.  Approximately 2.5 billion people in the world still rely on subsistence farming to satisfy their basic needs, while the rest are tied into increasingly complex production and distribution systems to provide food, fiber, fuel, and other plant-derived commodities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population was about one billion in 1800, doubled to two billion in 1930, doubled again to four billion in 1975, and reached six billion people in 2000. World population is expected to be nine billion by the year 2050. The challenge to satisfy human needs and wants still exists. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the estimated export value of major plant commodities traded in world markets for 1998 was: rice ($9.9 billion dollars), maize ($9.1 billion), wheat ($15.1 billion), soybeans ($9 billion), coffee greens and roast ($13.7 billion), sugar ($5.9 billion), tobacco ($24.1 billion), cigarettes ($15.4 billion), lint cotton ($8.2 billion), forest products ($123 billion), and forest pulp for paper ($13 billion). The study of plant uses by people is termed economic botany or ethnobotany; some consider economic botany to focus on modern cultivated plants, while ethnobotany focuses on indigenous plants cultivated and used by native peoples. Human cultivation of plants is part of agriculture, which is the basis of human civilization. Plant agriculture is subdivided into agronomy, horticulture and forestry.

According to a new market study published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled “Agricultural Biotechnology Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019”, the global agricultural biotechnology market was worth US$15,300 million in 2012 and is expected to be worth US$28,694.1 million by 2019, expanding at a 9.5% CAGR from 2013 to 2019.Growing population worldwide has led to demand for genetically modified (GM)crops for high yield, which is one of the primary drivers for the growth of the agricultural biotechnology market. Increasing demand for biofuels due to depleting reserves of conventional fuels is further boosting the agricultural biotechnology market.

Plant pathology is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Plant pathology also involves the study of pathogen identification, disease etiology, disease cycles, economic impact, plant disease epidemiology, plant disease resistance, how plant diseases affect humans and animals, pathosystem genetics, and management of plant diseases. Plant pathology is an applied science that deals with the nature, causes and control of plant diseases in agriculture and forestry. The vital role of plant pathology in attaining food security and food safety for the world cannot be overemphasized. A number of native or non-native plants are unwanted in a specific location for a number of reasons. Similarly, they can be of concern for environmental reasons whereby introduced species out-compete for resources or space with desired endemic plants. While the term "weed" generally has a negative connotation, many plants known as weeds can have beneficial properties. A number of weeds, such as the dandelion and lamb's quarter, are edible, and their leaves or roots may be used for food or herbal medicine.

According to the new market research report “Global Bacterial Biopesticides Market by Application (Seed Treatment, On Farm and Post-Harvest),by Type (Bacillus Thuringiensis, Bacillus Subtilis, Pseudomonas Fluorescens), by Crop Type, by Geography - Analysis and Forecast to 2019”, this market is estimated to grow from $1,438.6 million in 2014 to $2,697.6 million by 2019, at a CAGR of 13.4% from 2014 to 2019

Comparison of the order of blocks within the different cereal chromosomes revealed that each cereal genome can be derived from the cleavage of a single structure, a hypothetical ‘ancestral’ genome, from which the genomes of present day cereals and grasses have evolved. The rice genome is one of the smallest among the cereals and grasses, and in 1995, we demonstrated that rice could be a model for cereals based on this ‘synteny’ because its genome can be divided into groups of genes - a series of genomic building blocks - from which the other larger cereal genomes can be constructed. The genome analysis will also help in our efforts for improvement of staple foods for yield and quality, which is a continuous process because neither the conditions of cultivation nor the genomes have to be targeted to the need of adaptations to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Functional food components vary across the cereal crops and within different tissues of grain. Wild germplasm is another untapped resource of useful genetic variation in the functional food compounds.

The global market for biopesticides was valued at $1,796.56 Million in 2013 and is expected to reach $4,369.88 Million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 16.0% from 2014 to 2019. North America dominated the global biopesticides market. Europe is expected to be the fastest growing market in the near future owing to the stringent regulation for pesticides and increasing demand from organic products.

Recent technological advancements have substantially expanded our ability to analyze and understand plant genomes and to reduce the gap existing between genotype and phenotype. The fast evolving field of genomics allows scientists to analyze thousand of genes in parallel, to understand the genetic architecture of plant genomes and also to isolate the genes responsible for mutations. Model organisms (Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) provide genetic and molecular insights into the biology of more complex species. Since the genomes of most plant species are either too large or too complex to be fully analyzed, the plant scientific community has adopted model organisms. They share features such as being diploid and appropriate for genetic analysis, being amenable to genetic transformation, having a (relatively) small genome and a short growth cycle, having commonly available tools and resources, and being the focus of research by a large scientific community. Genomics will accelerate the application of gene technology to agriculture. Plant genomics research now accounts for only 2% of the U.S. federal research and development budget, despite a 35% rate of return to society. Combined federal and state research expenditures have been flat at $2.5 billion for the past 20 years while private investment has grown rapidly, accounting for 60% of total expenditures by 1995. More than 20% of the research budget at state universities is from industry. The value of agriculture to society in the U.S. dwarfs its investment. Eighteen percent of American jobs are tied directly or indirectly to agriculture, as is 15% of the gross domestic product. Over 30% of U.S. agricultural products are exported, at a value of $56.5 billion; this is twice the value of our agricultural imports. Importantly, of the products we export, 60% are processed; only 40% are commodities, and this fraction is declining. The added value from processing is being captured in the U.S., along with the associated jobs.

The global genotyping market is expected to reach $17.0 Billion in 2020 from $ 6.2 Billion in 2015, at a healthy CAGR of 22.3% from 2015 to 2020. Growth in this market is attributed to the increasing incidence of genetic diseases & increasing awareness about personalized medicine, technological advancements, decreasing prices of DNA sequencing, growing importance of SNP genotyping in drug development, and the increasing demand for genetic analysis in animal & plant livestock. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25.4% during the forecast period of 2015-2020.

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry embraces physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, structure and genetics at different levels, from the molecular to the whole plant and environment. Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. The field of plant physiology includes the study of all the internal activities of plants—those chemical and physical processes associated with life as they occur in plants. This includes study at many levels of scale of size and time. At the smallest scale are molecular interactions of photosynthesis and internal diffusion of water, minerals, and nutrients. At the largest scale are the processes of plant development, seasonality, dormancy, and reproductive control. Major subdisciplines of plant physiology include phytochemistry (the study of the biochemistry of plants) and phytopathology. The chemical elements of which plants are constructed—principally carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.—are the same as for all other life forms animals, fungi, bacteria and even viruses. Only the details of the molecules into which they are assembled differs. Economically, one of the most important areas of research in environmental physiology is that of phytopathology, the study of diseases in plants and the manner in which plants resist or cope with infection.

The global market for ubiquitin proteasome research and development was estimated at nearly $2.9 billion in 2013. The market should total more than $5.5 billion by 2018, and have a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2% from 2013 to 2018

Plant cells can be grown in isolation from intact plants in tissue culture systems. The cells have the characteristics of callus cells, rather than other plant cell types. These are the cells that appear on cut surfaces when a plant is wounded and which gradually cover and seal the damaged area.The plant cells can grow on a solid surface as friable, pale-brown lumps (called callus), or as individual or small clusters of cells in a liquid medium called a suspension culture. These cells can be  maintained indefinitely provided they are sub-cultured regularly into fresh growth medium.

Tissue culture cells generally lack the distinctive features of most plant cells. They have a small vacuole, lack chloroplasts and photosynthetic pathways and the structural or chemical features that distinguish so many cell types within the intact plant are absent. They are most similar to the undifferentiated cells found in meristematic regions which become fated to develop into each cell type as the plant grows. Tissue cultured cells can also be induced to re-differentiate into whole plants by alterations to the growth media.Plant tissue cultures can be initiated from almost any part of a plant. The physiological state of the plant does have an influence on its response to attempts to initiate tissue culture. The parent plant must be healthy and free from obvious signs of disease or decay. The source, termed explant, may be dictated by the reason for carrying out the tissue culture. Younger tissue contains a higher proportion of actively dividing cells and is more responsive to a callus initiation programme. The plants themselves must be actively growing, and not about to enter a period of dormancy.

The overall market for TCPs is expected to grow by at least 20 to 25% from 72 million in 2013-2014 to 144 million over the next five years as compared to the average growth rate of 10 to 12% annually during the last two to three years.

Plants have emerged as powerful production platforms for the expression of fully functional recombinant mammalian proteins. These expression systems have demonstrated the ability to produce complex glycoproteins in a cost-efficient manner at large scale. The full realization of the therapeutic potential of stem cells has only recently come into the forefront of regenerative medicine. Stem cells are unprogrammed cells that can differentiate into cells with specific functions. Regenerative therapies are used to stimulate healing and might be used in the future to treat various kinds of diseases. Regenerative medicine will result in an extended healthy life span. A fresh apple is a symbol for beautiful skin. Hair greying for example could be shown to result from the fact that the melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle have died off.

The global stem cell, Stem cell products market will grow from about $5.6 billion in 2013 to nearly $10.6 billion in 2018, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% from 2013 through 2018.This track discusses the implications of stem cell research and commercial trends in the context of the current size and growth of the pharmaceutical market, both in global terms and analysed by the most important national markets.

Plant genomics researchers have readily embraced new algorithms, technologies and approaches to generate genome, transcriptome and epigenome datasets for model and crop species that have permitted deep inferences into plant biology.Genotyping by sequencing, or next-generation genotyping (NGG), provides a low-cost genetic screening method to discover novel plant and animal SNPs and perform genotyping studies, often simultaneously in many specimens. With a low-cost tool for routine screening, researchers can accelerate the return on investment in breeding practice. Applications of this method include genetic mapping, screening backcross lines, purity testing, constructing haplotype maps, and performing association and genomic evaluation for plant agrigenomic studies. Sequencing has transformed environmental metagenomics, enabling the study of large microbial communities directly in their natural environment without prior culturing. These studies can yield important information about diverse microbial populations associated with plant development.

Companies are raising money: In just the first part of January 2015, In addition to Roche's investment in Foundation Medicine, 10X Genomics closed a $55.5 million Series B financing and Invitae filed for an initial public offering, These follow a busy 2014 year that saw many investments in next generation sequencing companies and companies with products or services related to next generation sequencing. Agreements with pharmaceutical companies: Companies in the pharmaceutical industry have recognized the potential benefits of next generation sequencing as a research and development tool. During just part of 2015, Genentech announced two agreements, and Pfizer announced one

Over the last 30 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly due to the greater understanding of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the chemical double helix code from which genes are made. The term genetic engineering is used to describe the process by which the genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using “recombinant DNA technology.” This involves the use of laboratory tools to insert, alter, or cut out pieces of DNA that contain one or more genes of interest. Genetic engineering techniques are used only when all other techniques have been exhausted, i.e. when the trait to be introduced is not present in the germplasm of the crop; the trait is very difficult to improve by conventional breeding methods; and when it will take a very long time to introduce and/or improve such trait in the crop by conventional breeding methods Although there are many diverse and complex techniques involved in genetic engineering, its basic principles are reasonably simple. There are five major steps in the development of a genetically engineered crop. But for every step, it is very important to know the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of action, regulation of gene expression, and safety of the gene and the gene product to be utilized. There has been a consistent increase in the global area planted to transgenic crops from 1996 to 2012. About 170 million hectares was planted in 2012 to transgenic crops with high market value, such as herbicide tolerant soybean, maize, cotton, and canola; insect resistant maize, cotton, potato, and rice; and virus resistant squash and papaya. With genetic engineering, more than one trait can be incorporated or stacked into a plant. Transgenic crops with combined traits are also available commercially. These include herbicide tolerant and insect resistant maize and cotton.

The global market for genomics is expected to reach USD 22.1 billion by 2020, growing at an estimated CAGR of 10.3% from 2014 to 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Genomics play an imperative role in the field of infectious disease testing by enabling the use of fast and effective result rendering molecular diagnostic tests. This, coupled with growing prevalence of infectious diseases and hospital acquired infections is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Other driving factors for this market include decreasing prices of DNA sequencing, increasing demand for genome analysis in animal and plant feedstock, extensive presence of both private and public external funding programs and growing patient awareness levels. In addition, presence of untapped growth opportunities in emerging countries such as India, Brazil and China and the increasing health awareness are expected to serve this market as future growth opportunities.