While there has been great progress in the development of plant breeding over the last decade, the selection of suitable plants for human consumption began over 13,000 years ago. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the development of crop improvement methods over centuries. It features an extensive historical treatment of development, including influential individuals in the field, plant cultivation in various regions, techniques used in the Old World, and cropping in ancient America. It covers modern advances in the twentieth century including hybrid breeding, biotechnological improvement, and genetic manipulation.