![null](http://0.tqn.com/d/botany/1/0/T/-/-/-/soybean-genome-150x101.jpg)
Why study plant genes? Mostly, to improve crop performance and yields, and to understand how plants work.
To learn more about plant genomics (but not so much that your head will spin; I promise), check out Plants Have Genomes, Too.
Photo: Geneticist Perry Cregan examines the soybean genome map. Keith Weller, USDA-ARS.