Genetic Technology Applied Genetics Selective Breeding Selective breeding is the breeding of organisms to produce certain desired traits in their offspring In selective breeding, a genome is changed slowly and deliberately, over many generations. Selective breeding is one example of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the use of living organisms to make products, such as medicines and improved crops, or to benefit humans. Ancient peoples native to North and South America used selective breeding to develop corn and potatoes from wild plants. Today, farmers still use selective breeding to develop new crops. In order for a new breed with a desired trait to be established, only the offspring that inherit the desired trait are selected to reproduce.