Congratulations to the Korean Society of Breeding Science on the occasion of the 40th anniversary. Such scientific societies serve an important role in disseminating scientific information, encouraging world class research, and integrating related disciplines. Plant breeding is a solution-driven science to meet ever-increasing needs with the ultimate application in mind throughout the process. Plant breeding will continue to involve both the lab and field even as more molecular technologies are applied to the improvement of plants and animals. Today and into the future, genetics and genomics will play major roles. This keynote talk first presents plant breeding in the context of the need to meet future food supplies, then reviews some of the emerging and important technologies, documents some of the traits improved through the new technologies, and finally adds some philosophical points with special emphasis on the younger scientist.

• Ronald L. Phillips