Editing Selective breeding (section)

== Advantages and disadvantages  ==
Selective breeding is a direct way to determine if a specific trait can evolve in response to selection. A single-generation method of breeding is not as accurate or direct. The process is also more practical and easier to understand than sibling analysis. Selective breeding is better for traits such as [[physiology]] and behavior that are hard to measure because it requires fewer individuals to test than single-generation testing.

However, there are disadvantages to this process. This is because a single experiment done in selective breeding cannot be used to assess an entire group of genetic variances, individual experiments must be done for every individual trait. Also, due to the necessity of selective breeding experiments to require maintaining the organisms tested in a lab or [[greenhouse]], it is impractical to use this breeding method on many organisms. Controlled mating instances are difficult to carry out in this case and this is a necessary component of selective breeding.<ref name="Artificial Selection">{{Cite journal | doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084[1650:asaptf]2.0.co;2| title=Artificial Selection: A Powerful Tool for Ecologists| journal=Ecology| volume=84| issue=7| pages=1650–1660| year=2003| last1=Conner | first1=J. K. }}</ref>

Additionally, selective breeding can lead to a variety of issues including reduction of genetic diversity or physical problems. The process of selective breeding can create physical issues for plants or animals such as dogs selectively bred for extremely small sizes dislocating their kneecaps at a much more frequent rate then other dogs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2010-09-16 |title=Dogs That Changed The World ~ Selective Breeding Problems {{!}} Nature {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/dogs-that-changed-the-world-selective-breeding-problems/1281/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Nature |language=en-US}}</ref> An example in the plant world is the [[Lenape potato|Lenape]] potatoes were selectively bred for their disease or pest resistance which was attributed to their high levels of toxic [[Solanine|glycoalkaloid solanine]] which are usually present only in small amounts in potatoes fit for human consumption.<ref>{{Citation |last=Health |first=National Research Council (US) Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human |title=Unintended Effects from Breeding |date=2004 |work=Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215778/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |publisher=National Academies Press (US) |language=en}}</ref> When genetic diversity is lost it can also allow for populations to lack genetic alternatives to adapt to events. This becomes an issue of biodiversity, because attributes are so wide-spread they can result in mass epidemics. As seen in the [[Southern corn leaf blight|Southern Corn leaf-blight]] epidemic of 1970 that wiped out 15% of the United States corn crop due to the wide use of a type of Texan corn strain that was artificially selected due to having sterile pollen to make farming easier. At the same time it was more vulnerable to Southern Corn leaf-blight.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Clarke |first=Robert Connell |title=Marijuana Botany |date=1981 |publisher=And/Or Pr |isbn=978-0-915904-45-7 |location=Berkeley, Calif}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=August 2017 |title=Southern Corn Leaf Blight: A Story Worth Retelling |journal=CSA News |volume=62 |issue=8 |pages=13 |doi=10.2134/csa2017.62.0806 |issn=1529-9163|doi-access=free |bibcode=2017CSAN...62S..13. }}</ref>