8  I  SEED WORLD EUROPE  I  SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | MAY 2026
MADS WADUM LARSEN
Pathology Scientist at DLF 
Seeds, Denmark
Mads Wadum Larsen is helping to 
strengthen plant breeding through his 
work in plant pathology at DLF Seeds 
in Denmark. His research focuses 
on grasses and legumes, where he 
supports breeding programmes by 
developing improved methods to 
understand and screen for disease 
resistance.
Mads integrates molecular 
approaches, large scale data analysis 
and advanced phenotyping to create 
practical tools that breeders can use 
in their programmes. A key part of 
his work involves developing robust 
protocols and high throughput disease 
screening systems that make it easier 
to identify resistant breeding material. 
These efforts contribute directly to 
the development of crop varieties that 
require fewer pesticides and support 
more sustainable farming systems.
Beyond his research, Mads is also 
actively engaged in collaboration and 
knowledge sharing. He works closely 
with breeders, external partners and 
young researchers, contributing to the 
next generation of scientific talent. 
Looking ahead, he believes that com­
bining deep biological understanding 
with data driven innovation will accel­
erate progress toward more resilient 
and sustainable crops.
PABLO MANZANO GARCÍA
Biotechnologist and Master’s 
Student in Food Innovation and 
Development at Universidad de 
Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Pablo Manzano García is a young 
biotechnologist whose academic 
work focuses on addressing some of 
the most pressing challenges facing 
modern plant breeding. Through his 
studies in biotechnology and his 
experience in research laboratories, 
he has developed a strong interest in 
improving crop resilience, particularly 
in relation to pests, viral diseases and 
the growing impact of climate change 
on agricultural systems.
Pablo believes that young 
researchers have an important role to 
play in transforming the plant breed­
ing sector. He is a strong advocate for 
raising social awareness around the 
need to develop more sustainable crop 
varieties and for using innovative tools 
such as gene editing technologies to 
help achieve this goal.
Looking ahead, he sees collab­
oration between public and private 
institutions as essential for advancing 
innovation in European agriculture. In 
his view, a new generation of well-
trained and motivated scientists will 
be key to building a more resilient, 
productive and sustainable plant 
breeding system for the future.
VINCENZO CASSIBBA
Tomato and Pepper Breeder at 
Southern Seed SRL, Italy
Vincenzo Cassibba is a young plant 
breeder at Southern Seed SRL in 
Italy, working on the development of 
improved tomato and pepper varieties 
for international markets. He holds 
a degree in agricultural and environ­
mental biotechnology and further 
strengthened his research experi­
ence during a six-month period at the 
University of California, Davis, where 
he worked on pepper breeding as part 
of his master’s thesis.
At Southern Seed, Vincenzo con­
tributes to research and development 
activities aimed at delivering innova­
tive vegetable varieties that meet the 
evolving needs of growers and mar­
kets. His work focuses on combining 
classical breeding approaches with 
modern genomic tools to accelerate 
the development of improved cultivars.
Vincenzo believes the future of 
plant breeding will depend on inte­
grating innovation with sustainability. 
Techniques such as genome wide 
association studies, marker assisted 
selection and new breeding technol­
ogies offer powerful opportunities 
to develop climate resilient varieties 
while reducing input use. For him, one 
of the sector’s greatest challenges will 
be increasing productivity to help feed 
a growing global population without 
expanding agricultural land.
20 Most Promising Young Plant Breeders in Europe

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