Welcome to SAPBA
The Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association is dedicated to the promotion of the science and art of plant breeding as a profession through pro-active communication among private and public sector institutions, emphasising the need for cooperation and maintenance of high ethical standards and norms, thereby contributing toward stable, sustainable agriculture.
What We Do
Plant breeding uses principles from a variety of sciences to improve the genetic potential of plants. The process involves combining parental plants to obtain the next generation with the best characteristics. Breeders improve plants by selecting those with the greatest potential based on performance data, pedigree, and more sophisticated genetic information. Plants are improved for food, feed, fiber, fuel, shelter, landscaping, eco-systems services and a variety of other human activities.