12 I SEED WORLD EUROPE I SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | MAY 2026 MIRIAM FERNÁNDEZ CALLEJA Genomics Project Lead at Semillas Fitó, Spain Miriam Fernández Calleja works at the intersection of genomics, biotech nology and practical plant breeding, contributing to horticultural breed ing programmes that aim to deliver improved varieties more efficiently. Her work focuses on identifying genes responsible for key agronomic and market traits and translating genomic, phenotypic and environmental data into practical tools that accelerate variety development. She stands out for her ability to connect different parts of the breed ing value chain, from market needs and germplasm diversity to advanced biotechnological approaches. By integrating insights from multidisci plinary teams, she helps transform complex datasets into clear, data driven decisions that support breeders in developing improved varieties. Miriam represents a new gener ation of plant breeders who combine strategic thinking with strong ana lytical and collaborative skills. She believes that the breeder of the future will increasingly act as a connector of people, technologies and data. With recent progress in the EU around New Genomic Techniques, she sees a significant opportunity for Europe to strengthen innovation and competi tiveness in the seed sector. HENRY BASSON Plant Breeder at Bayer Crop Science, Hungary Henry Basson is a plant breeder based in Szeged, Hungary, working on multiple maize breeding pipelines that deliver hybrids for early maturity mar kets across Europe. The programmes he supports serve a market of nearly 12 million hectares across 13 coun tries, contributing to the development of hybrids that are already making a commercial impact for growers in the region. Henry represents the collabo rative nature of modern plant breed ing. Bringing new hybrids to market requires close coordination between breeders, data scientists, seed pro duction specialists and commercial teams. Henry is known for building strong relationships across these groups and helping align teams around the strengths and positioning of new products. He is also a strong advocate of innovation in breeding, actively applying digital tools such as genomic models, predictive analytics and arti ficial intelligence to support decision making. Henry believes the future of plant breeding will increasingly integrate genetics, biotechnology and advanced data analysis to accelerate the development of more productive, resilient and sustainable crops capa ble of addressing climate change and global food security challenges. LAURE PUIBUSQUE Alfalfa Breeder at Barenbrug France, France Laure Puibusque is an alfalfa breeder at Barenbrug France in Connantre, where she contributes to the devel opment of improved forage varieties for European agriculture. Having joined the company two years ago, she quickly immersed herself in the complexities of a large scale breeding programme, bringing strong scientific curiosity and attention to detail to her work. Her interest in plant biology began during her studies at the University of Paul Sabatier in Toulouse and continued at ENSAT, where she specialised in plant agrobiosciences. There she developed a strong foun dation in experimentation, genetics and crop improvement, skills she now applies in her breeding activities. Laure is motivated by the poten tial of plant breeding to support more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. She focuses on developing high performing varieties that deliver tangible benefits to farmers while contributing to long term agricultural transitions. Her participation in dis cussions on biodiversity at the World Alfalfa Congress in Reims further strengthened her commitment to link ing genetic innovation with environ mental stewardship. 20 Most Promising Young Plant Breeders in Europe
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