The Breeder’s Eye – Theoretical Aspects of the Breeder’s Decision-Making

Summary

The report describes an empirical research project which investigated the peculiarity and role of knowledge gained through experience in plant breeding from the breeder’s perspective. In this paper, a theory respecting the breeder’s decision-making process will be presented. The categories of knowledge that are important for the decision-making process will be sketched and three levels of consciousness elaborated. The integration of all levels of knowledge and consciousness is what in the end determines whether the breeder’s decision-making activities are competent or not. This complexity is defined as intuition in the sense of an invariant present. The empirical findings will be briefly discussed with respect to their importance to organic agricultural science and organic plant breeding.