The University of Florida is the new home for Breeding Insight, a USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded program that supports more than 61 public breeding programs at USDA and university partners across the country.
The initiative provides tools, expertise, and advanced technologies to accelerate the development of crops that are more resilient, pest- and disease-resistant, and nutritious.
Breeding Insight scientists use high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and custom software to speed up the breeding process. Their work extends beyond major food crops into ornamentals, which benefit ecosystems, and animal breeding programs.
“Feeding the world will require that new plant varieties be developed at a much more rapid pace, and we are confident that Breeding Insight and UF/IFAS combined will be an important part of that effort,” sid Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS.
The program has been recognized nationally for its impact. In 2024, Breeding Insight received the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award for “outstanding contribution to providing all Americans with safe, nutritious food.”
Currently, the program supports nearly 50 species. Ten of those are among Florida’s top commodities, including blueberry, alfalfa, strawberry, watermelon, lettuce, cucumber, sugarcane, citrus, potato, and commercial beekeeping, according to Moira Sheehan, director of Breeding Insight. The program also works with honeybee and aquaculture industries to strengthen genetic stock for durability and productivity.
Beyond combating emerging pests and diseases, Breeding Insight scientists focus on:
- Developing plant varieties that can be harvested more easily through automation to reduce labor costs
- Extending the shelf life of fruits, nuts, and vegetables
- Improving crops with long growing cycles, such as pine and fruit trees, for greater efficiency
“The shift of the program to the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) solidifies UF as the world’s best plant breeding program and brings additional seed funding and data analytic resources to UF/IFAS plant breeders,” says Damian Adams, UF/IFAS associate dean for research, who will manage the program. “It also positions us to better support the agriculture industry in Florida through accelerated precision-breeding efforts.”
Several universities competed to host Breeding Insight, but UF/IFAS was chosen for the strength of its agricultural programs, its standing with stakeholders, and its advanced computing infrastructure, including HiPerGator.
“We are proud to serve as the new host of Breeding Insight,” Angle said in the news release. “The UF/IFAS world-class plant breeding program and nearly 300 Florida-produced commodities make this the perfect home for the program.”
Looking ahead, Sheehan said Breeding Insight may expand its support to additional Florida crops, such as cabbage, peanuts, cantaloupes, avocado, and nursery plants, as well as farm-raised tilapia, catfish, sturgeon, red drum, oysters and clams.
“I’m also excited about what Breeding Insight can bring to the table with novel varieties that work for smart farms, automated harvesters, and other AI-driven tools,” Adams said. “This is an exciting partnership that can help Florida agriculture transition to high tech and stay ahead of the competition.”
