---
product_id: 12465470
title: "Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding"
brand: "noel kingsbury"
price: "48610CFA"
currency: XOF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/12465470-hybrid-the-history-and-science-of-plant-breeding
store_origin: SN
region: Senegal
---

# Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding

**Brand:** noel kingsbury
**Price:** 48610CFA
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding by noel kingsbury
- **How much does it cost?** 48610CFA with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/12465470-hybrid-the-history-and-science-of-plant-breeding)

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- noel kingsbury enthusiasts

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## Description

Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding

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![Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nsBAqmtEL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    An informative book that invites a rational discussion about policies related to plant breeding
  

*by T***N on Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2020*

“Hybrid” is a hybrid book itself covering not only histories of several plants and their breeding, but also delves into policy issues about genetically modified foods, public/private ownership of plants, green revolution and backlash against it. It even talks about how imperialism impacted the decision about which plants to grow in the colonialized countries (a great hypothetical example: If China had invaded England, wouldn’t we have had more rice growing there?). This does not mean that the book has a lack of focus. On the contrary, it is a gem. The books covers a wide range of topics because plant breeding is a complex subject touching on science, technology, politics, history, and sociology itself. Hybrid is a wonderful book for those who would like not only to learn about the history of plant breeding, but also to have a rational understanding of policy issues surrounding plant breeding.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A must read
  

*by R***H on Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2010*

The public discourse on food and feeding the world has been hijacked by the New Age false prophets who have mislead the public as to the working of the food chain.'Hybrid' is a must read by anyone who cares about how we are going to double food production with fewer resources between now and 2050.  And no agricultural input is as critical as seed.Noel Kingsbury writes clearly and knowledgeably.  He tells an exciting story.  I recommend the book highly.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A Good History of Plant Breeding
  

*by J***O on Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2010*

Noel Kingsbury's Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding delivers just that, though much more of the history than the science. In all fairness, I think it strikes just the right balance for the intended audience which is the general science reader or horticultural hobbyist and not professional plant breeders. The thirty-five Technical Notes included at the end of the book provide additional information for those who are not already familiar with some of the terms used in the text. To be certain, the scope of this book would be an ambitious undertaking for any author, Kingsbury has put forth an admirable effort. By necessity the story must begin 10,000-12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent where pastoralists became the first agriculturalists and continue all the way through to the modern age of molecular genetics. Along the way it must encompass many crop plants and ornamental species, numerous contributors and critics and try to accurately, but without bias, reflect the social, political and religious influences on plant breeding efforts in each era.As would be expected, the major crop plants, wheat, corn, potatoes and rice, get their fair share of coverage, but the author also manages to include short asides or honorable mentions for many other fruit and vegetable crops. He also makes a point of including a whole chapter on the history of plant breeding for ornamentals where roses and tulips get center stage. The same is true of the people who have been involved in improving plants for human use and consumption. The histories of well known figures and some of the lesser known but very influential, are thoroughly covered in the text. Men such as: Gregor Mendel, Norman Borlaug, Luther Burbank, Nikolai Vavilov, Henry A. Wallace, Henri and Philippe de Vilmorin and W. Atlee Burpee all get their share of ink and paper as well as some influential women such as Barbara McClintock. My personal hero, Dr. Henry A. Jones gets only an honorable mention. And, though sterile triploids are mentioned in passing, the story of the development of the triploid `seedless' watermelon is left out entirely as is the work done by Dr. Warren Barham to develop them. Curiously, Dr. C.M. Rick is mentioned in the Works Cited section, but gets no mention in the text during the discussions of some of the great plant hunters and plant collecting expeditions even though his efforts were substantial enough that the tomato germplasm repository has been named in his honor.As mentioned before, the author gives a well-balanced account of the history and politics that have influenced plant breeding but it is easy to discern that his sympathies lie with the plant breeders. Even so, he fairly sums up the position of the radical Indian activist Vandana Shiva that "...scientific plant breeding is part of a plot for world domination by U.S. capitalism." The book was obviously very well researched and the for those readers who like to mine the Works Cited pages for further reading you will find plenty here to pique your interests. The author tells the story predominately from the human interest point of view, choosing to focus on the people and personalities involved and less on the technicalities. The writing style is straightforward without a lot of prose and with a distinctive English flair such as when referring to plant breeders who have passed on as having "...departed to explore the gene pool of the Elysian Fields." For me, the only two detractors were: 1) as a matter of format the author chose to use footnotes which I find distracting because they can disrupt the flow of a paragraph if you feel compelled to look down and read the footnote each time a superscript number appears. 2) The book was rife with typographical errors. Normally I might see one or two in a professionally published book, but in this one they occur with a frequency of one every two or three pages. Either this book was rushed into publication for some reason or the budget for proofreading was inadequate.

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*Product available on Desertcart Senegal*
*Store origin: SN*
*Last updated: 2026-02-26*