Crossbreeding
Traditional Mexican wheat was highly susceptible to rust. Consequently, from 1939 to 1942 Mexican wheat yields declined 50% from previous years. Challenged with the task of developing a rust resistance in wheat, Borlaug began crossbreeding thousands of varieties from locations throughout the world with the traditional Mexican wheat, subsequently developing strains of disease-resistant wheat. Upon the success of his first innovation, Borlaug contemplated the idea of expediting the growing process so as to increase total yields, and thus elevate food production in Mexico.
"Crossbreeding is a hit or miss process. It's time consuming and mind-warpingly tedious. There's only one chance in thousands of ever finding what you want, and actually no guarantee of success at all."
- Norman Borlaug
"There are millions of wheat plants here. Each head will grow a couple of dozen grains of seed - and there will not be one seed in billions that will be totally acceptable for what we need in Mexico. Perfection is a butterfly that academics chase and never catch. If we go on looking for the ideal wheat for Mexico, your countrymen will go on being hungry for a long time. We will have to do the best we can with what we have." |