Inbreeding and Hybridisation

Inbreeding: breeding of individuals closely related genetically.

Interbreeding: to breed with individuals of another species
Outbreeding: Crossing with other closely related plants.
Inbreeding depression: Increase in the proportion of debilitated offspring as a result of breeding
between closely related organisms of the same species.
- If organisms are inbred they will become progressively smaller and weaker every generation.
This inbreeding depression happens because homozygous individuals are less vigorous than
heterozygotes.
- Outbreeding leads to hybrid vigour (healthier, taller, better offspring).
However, outbreeding at random in cases such as farming leads to a non-uniform crop with a
lot of variation. Since ideally crops should have the same height, ripen at the same time, this
is problematic. Also, farmers need a uniform crop to harvest and sell.
- Therefore, farmers achieve homozygosity and uniformity by buying plant seeds from companies
that specialise in inbreeding to produce homozygous plants and then cross the two different
homozygous groups. The F1 generation will be heterozygous and all the same.