Explore the Life Cycle of Plants

① ) is the process of making or improving new kinds of plants by using the genetic traits of living things. For example, if you want to make a new kind of cabbage that is both tasty and strong against pests, you can mix two cabbages, one that tastes good and one that strong against pests. The new cabbage will have both good traits — this is called breeding. Breeding takes a long time and needs to be studied again and again. Thanks to advances in genetic engineering, scientists can now use advanced bio-technology in breeding to create more kinds of plants. Dr. Woo Jang-chun, a famous plant breeder from South Korea, showed that it is possible to mix different plants, like cabbage and Chinese cabbage, to make a new kind of plant. His research also helped improve Jeju tangerines, develop potatoes that grow well in Gangwon Province, and create cabbages that are good for making kimchi. However, most of the crops we eat today are grown from seeds developed in other countries. That means we have to pay to use those seeds. For example, most onions sold in South Korea are from Japanese seeds, and most paprika seeds come from the Netherlands. If we develop our own seeds with different good traits, we won’t need to pay other countries. A person who develops new seeds with the taste, texture, color, and shape that people like or seeds that are strong against diseases, is called a ② . How about becoming a seed development researcher yourself and creating a new kind of fruit or vegetable that you like?