Crop variety improvement is an essential step to ensure food security for a growing population. Explain the process of Hybridization used in crop improvement. Discuss in detail five key objectives for which crop variety improvement is conducted.

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Crop Variety Improvement Crop variety improvement refers to the development of plant varieties with desirable characteristics such as high yield, disease resistance, response to fertilizers, and better quality. Concept of Hybridization: Hybridization is the process of crossing two genetically dissimilar plants to combine desirable characters from both into a single offspring (hybrid). 
It can be of three main types: Intervarietal Hybridization: Cross between two different varieties of the same species. Interspecific Hybridization: Cross between two different species of the same genus. Intergeneric Hybridization: Cross between two different genera. --- Objectives of Crop Variety Improvement: Higher Yield: The primary aim of variety improvement is to increase the total productivity of crops per acre to meet the growing food demand of the population. Improved Quality: Quality factors vary from crop to crop. For instance, baking quality in wheat, protein quality in pulses, oil quality in oilseeds, and preserving quality in fruits and vegetables are crucial parameters enhanced through breeding. Biotic and Abiotic Resistance: Crops are damaged by biotic factors (diseases, insects, nematodes) and abiotic factors (drought, salinity, waterlogging, heat, frost). Varieties resistant to these stresses ensure stable crop yields under harsh environmental conditions. Change in Maturity Duration: Developing short-duration crop varieties allows farmers to grow multiple crops in a single year on the same field. Shorter maturity periods also reduce cultivation expenses and uniform maturity makes harvesting easier. Desirable Agronomic Characteristics: Developing traits like tallness and profuse branching for fodder crops, and dwarfness for cereal crops (so that fewer nutrients are consumed by plants for vegetarian growth) helps in increasing overall farm efficiency.