10 I SEED WORLD EUROPE I SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | MAY 2026 EMRE GUL Crop Genetics Researcher at the John Innes Centre, United Kingdom Emre Gul is an emerging plant breeder and crop genetics researcher at the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom, where he is pursuing a PhD linked to hybrid wheat breeding. His academic path reflects a strong com mitment to the field. He graduated as the top ranked student in agricultural biotechnology at Akdeniz University in Türkiye and later completed a fully funded MSc in plant genetics, genom ics and breeding at CIHEAM Zaragoza, organised jointly with the University of Lleida. Throughout his studies, Emre has actively sought both academic and practical experience, participating in international research projects, Erasmus exchanges and internships in the seed sector. His work reflects a strong interest in bridging advanced genomic research with practical breeding outcomes. Emre believes the future of plant breeding will increasingly rely on new genomic techniques and advanced genetics to develop resilient crops with stable yields under climate stress. At the same time, he empha sises the importance of accessibility, collaboration and responsible inno vation to ensure that new breeding technologies translate into practical benefits for farmers and sustainable agriculture. MARINE CORDONNIER Plant Breeder at United Beet Seeds, France Marine Cordonnier is contributing to the advancement of industrial chic ory breeding at United Beet Seeds in France, where she works on develop ing improved varieties for growers and the processing industry. Through her work, she has helped strengthen the competitiveness of the company’s chicory breeding programme, includ ing the development of varieties with herbicide tolerance and reduced inulin breakdown, traits that are important for both crop management and indus trial processing. Marine believes strongly in the power of genetic progress to address the growing challenges faced by agriculture. In her view, factors such as climate change and the reduction in available plant protection products are not only challenges, but also oppor tunities for plant breeders to deliver improved varieties that better meet the needs of farmers and industry. She sees innovation and scientific progress as essential drivers of varie tal improvement. By developing vari eties that can maintain yields under changing climatic conditions while supporting more sustainable farming systems, plant breeding will play a crucial role in ensuring that agriculture remains productive and economically viable in the years ahead. MAX SÖDERHOLM Plant Breeder at Lantmännen, Sweden Max Söderholm is a young plant breeder at Lantmännen in Sweden, working with forage crops such as red clover, white clover and lucerne. These species present particular breeding challenges, requiring careful selection and long term commitment to improve traits such as yield, persistence and adaptability under diverse growing conditions. Max has already shown himself to be a meticulous and inventive breeder, combining careful observation in the field with an openness to new ideas and approaches. His work contributes to the development of improved forage varieties that support productive and sustainable farming systems. Looking ahead, Max aims to develop varieties that perform well not only in Sweden but also across wider European markets and beyond. To achieve this, he embraces a broad set of breeding tools, combining tradi tional breeding methods with modern techniques such as marker assisted selection, speed breeding and new genomic approaches. By integrat ing both established and emerging technologies, he seeks to accelerate progress while maintaining strong agronomic performance in forage crops. 20 Most Promising Young Plant Breeders in Europe
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