high-yield variety

Crop that has been specially bred or selected to produce more than the natural varieties of the same species. During the 1950s and 1960s, new strains of wheat and maize were developed to reduce the food shortages in poor countries (the Green Revolution). Later, IR8, a new variety of rice that increased yields by up to six times, was developed in the Philippines. Strains of crops resistant to drought and disease were also developed. High-yield varieties require large amounts of expensive artificial fertilizers and sometimes pesticides for best results.