The term “plant introduction” describes the movement of agricultural plants from their original growing sites to other locations. In other words, it refers to the process of establishing crop plants in new environments. Agro-climatic conditions vary depending on where the plant variety or material is obtained and where it is introduced.

A traditional technique for crop enhancement is plant introduction. Many crops, including beans, maize, peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, American cotton, peppers, rubber, and squash, were introduced into the Old World shortly after the New World was discovered. While many more fruits, vegetables, fodder crops, barley, wheat, oats, sugarcane, rice, bananas, and coffee, were imported to the New World.

There are two types of plant introductions:

• Primary Introduction: When a new variety is introduced and found to be compatible with the environment, it is made available for commercial production without any genetic changes. Thus, the primary introduction is also referred to as a direct introduction.
• Secondary Introduction: It is the process of introducing additional traits into the introduced variety through selection or hybridisation with local types to produce superior variants. Hence, the secondary introduction is also known as an indirect introduction.

Related Links:

• Parts of Plants
• Plant Physiology
• Plant Kingdom – Members of Kingdom Plantae
• Plant Growth and Development
• The Classification of Plants
• The Plant Tissue System
• Plant Cells – Definition, Diagram, Structure & Function

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