In animal and plant breeding, what is the term for deliberately choosing parent organisms that display desirable traits so those characteristics are more likely in the offspring?

Introduction / Context:
For centuries, humans have improved crops and livestock by choosing parents with preferred traits—higher yield, disease resistance, temperament—to produce superior progeny. This intentional process has a specific name in genetics and agriculture.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Breeder controls mating decisions based on phenotypes and records.
• Goal is to increase the frequency of favorable alleles.
• Term sought is the standard phrase used in breeding programs.

Concept / Approach:
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) contrasts with random mating or natural selection. It encompasses assortative matings, progeny testing, and modern genomic selection, all falling under the umbrella of choosing parents to shape the next generation’s traits.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks in animal and plant breeding consistently use the term “selective breeding” or “artificial selection.”

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• “Active selection” and “breeding selection” are not standard terms.
• “Reproductive selection” is nonspecific and uncommon in this context.
• “Random mating” is the opposite of selection.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing selective breeding with assisted reproductive technologies like AI or ET; selection is about parent choice, not mating method.

Final Answer:
Selective breeding