A farmer wishes to develop a strain of high-yield corn that is also resistant to drought. He has the following individuals from the current year's crop:

Individual A-Yield: 179 bushels/acre; drought resistance: high

Individual B-Yield: 220 bushels/acre; drought resistance: low

Individual C-Yield: 185 bushels/acre; drought resistance: medium

Individual D-Yield: 140 bushels/acre; drought resistance: high

Individual E-Yield: 200 bushels/acre; drought resistance: medium

Which of the following crosses would produce the highest corn yield with the highest resistance to drought?

Answer: A*E

Explanation:

To Improve on a particular trait selection is made using the best parent that could give the best results. A trait that will be improved on should not affect your field, hence as a plant breeder the Goal is a traits that has been improved and will give the maximum yield. What a farmer needs is an improved variety with a better yield hence the seeds will not be approved for commercial commodity if low yielding.

Individual A-Yield: 179 bushels/acre; drought resistance: high

Individual E-Yield: 200 bushels/acre; drought resistance: medium

Individual A is high in resistance but has a moderate yield while individual E has a medium resistance but high yielding, a cross between A*E will give a more resistance variety and a better yielding variety because they are both the best parents for the genes needed and the two gene will be introduced into the new individual.