On this week’s Seed World podcast, McGill University PhD candidate Neha Paserkar explains how genomics, transcriptomics and climate research are helping breeders develop disease-resistant crops for the future.
As climate change reshapes growing conditions around the world, scientists are beginning to ask a question that could have major implications for agriculture: Will crops defend themselves against disease the same way they do in the future as they do today?
That’s the focus of the latest episode of the Seed World Podcast, featuring Neha Paserkar, a PhD candidate in plant science at McGill University and one of this year’s recipients of the Canadian Plant Breeding Innovation Scholarship.
Paserkar’s research centres on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, better known as white mold, one of the most persistent and economically important diseases affecting crops including canola, soybean, sunflower and dry beans.
“The pathogen produces structures called sclerotia that can survive in the soil for years,” Paserkar explains on the podcast. “That makes it very difficult to manage.”
But her work goes well beyond understanding today’s disease pressure. She’s investigating how rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could alter the molecular interactions between plants and pathogens, potentially changing how disease resistance works in future crop varieties.
“We assume that the way the plant and the pathogen react today, they won’t respond the same way in the future or under higher carbon dioxide conditions,” she says. “This research will help us understand how to make crops more climate resilient.”
To answer those questions, Paserkar combines greenhouse research with genome-wide association studies, transcriptomics and bioinformatics to identify genes linked to disease resistance. The goal is to provide plant breeders with better tools to develop resistant varieties more efficiently.
“The genomics helps identify genomic regions associated with important traits, while transcriptomics shows what is happening at the gene level,” she says. “Combining these approaches gives more precise results that can directly help plant breeders develop more resistant cultivars.”
The episode also explores Paserkar’s personal journey into plant breeding. Originally pursuing a PhD in China, her research was interrupted when COVID-19 border closures prevented her from returning to complete her experiments. Rather than abandoning her work, she spent that time building expertise in genomics and bioinformatics before restarting her research at McGill.
“It taught me that you should be ready for uncertainty and be resilient and flexible enough for whatever comes next,” she says.
That experience also shaped her view of the future of plant science, where researchers must combine traditional breeding knowledge with advanced data analysis.
“For future scientists, it’s equally important to understand molecular biology and greenhouse experiments while also learning data-driven techniques,” she says. “Together, they help us solve increasingly complex problems.”
Despite the challenges, Paserkar says her motivation remains simple: helping agriculture become more sustainable.
“If you tackle disease resistance, you can directly improve crop production,” she says. “That contributes to sustainable agriculture and strengthens our food system.”
The episode offers listeners an inside look at the next generation of plant breeding research—and why preparing crops for tomorrow’s climate begins with understanding how plants respond to today’s changing environment.
The Canadian Plant Breeding Innovation Scholarship is made possible by Alberta Grains, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, FP Genetics, HyTech Production, Richardson, SaskWheat Development Commission, SeCan, Seeds Canada, Seed World Canada, and Warburtons.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
