Meet the next generation driving innovation, sustainability and crop resilience in the seed sector.
Dear readers of Seed World Europe,
Plant breeding has a funny way of hiding in plain sight. Every day we eat bread, pasta, vegetables, fruit, or a simple bowl of cereal without giving much thought to where those crops actually came from. Yet behind every harvest is a long chain of decisions made by plant breeders, sometimes over a decade or more, selecting, crossing, testing and selecting again until a new variety finally reaches farmers’ fields.
I was reminded of this again while preparing this year’s “20 Most” feature. As some of you may know, I studied plant breeding myself in Wageningen many years ago. Back then, much of the work involved muddy boots, notebooks, and long days in field plots carefully observing plants. Today, breeders still walk their trials, but alongside that field work you will now find genomic selection models, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, high-throughput phenotyping systems, and an ever-growing mountain of data. The essence of plant breeding has not changed. But the toolbox certainly has. And that is exactly what makes this year’s theme so exciting.
For our April 2026 edition, Seed World Europe proudly presents the 20 Most Promising Young Plant Breeders in Europe. These young scientists, represent the next generation of innovators working to strengthen Europe’s plant breeding and seed sector.
Plant breeding sits quietly at the very beginning of the food chain. Long before a loaf of bread appears on a kitchen table, a tomato reaches a supermarket shelf, or a field of maize ripens under the summer sun, breeders have spent years developing the varieties that make those harvests possible. Their work improves yields, strengthens resistance to pests and diseases, enhances tolerance to drought, heat, and salinity, and helps farmers produce more food with fewer inputs.
In a world facing climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, biodiversity pressure, and a growing global population, the role of plant breeding has never been more important. The plant varieties developed today will determine what agriculture looks like 10 or even 20 years from now.
To identify this year’s promising young breeders, we invited nominations from across the European seed sector. Universities, research institutes, seed companies, and sector organisations were asked to nominate young professionals who are already making meaningful contributions to plant breeding and crop innovation.
The response from the sector was extremely encouraging. We received nominations covering a remarkable diversity of crops and research areas: cereals, vegetables, forage crops, legumes, ornamentals, and more. Some nominees are working within large multinational seed companies, others within smaller breeding organisations, universities, or public research institutes.
Reading through the nominations, several themes appeared again and again. First, the fusion of classical breeding and modern data science. Many of these young breeders are equally comfortable walking field plots and analysing genomic datasets. They combine traditional plant observation with tools such as genomic selection, AI-assisted breeding models, bioinformatics, and advanced phenotyping platforms.
Second, a strong focus on sustainability and resilience. Many of the nominees are working on traits that directly address today’s agricultural challenges: disease resistance, drought tolerance, improved nitrogen efficiency, climate adaptation, and crops that require fewer chemical inputs.
And third, the collaborative nature of modern plant breeding. Today’s breeders rarely work in isolation. Developing a new variety requires teams of experts ranging from geneticists and data scientists to agronomists, seed production specialists and commercial teams. The young breeders featured in this edition clearly understand the importance of building those bridges.
Selecting the final 20 from such an impressive group of nominees was no easy task. As in previous years, the number of deserving candidates far exceeded the available places on the list. Our final selection therefore represents only a snapshot of the many talented young breeders currently active in Europe and beyond.
This year’s initiative also includes a valuable educational opportunity. Through a generous offer from UPOV, all finalists will receive free access to an online course on Plant Variety Protection (PVP). Understanding plant breeders’ rights and the international framework supporting innovation is an essential part of a modern breeder’s toolkit. We are grateful to UPOV for helping equip these young professionals with knowledge that will support their careers and strengthen the seed sector.
In the pages that follow, you will meet the 20 individuals who made this year’s list. Each of them brings their own story, crop expertise, and perspective on the future of plant breeding.
If the nominations taught us anything, it is this: the future of the European plant breeding and seed sector is in very capable hands. And somewhere, right now, one of these young breeders may already be selecting the plant that will become the variety feeding millions of people ten years from now. Enjoy the read!
Marcel Bruins, Editorial Director
Seed World Europe
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 combining deep biological understanding with data driven innovation will accelerate 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 breeding 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 collaboration 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 environmental biotechnology and further strengthened his research experience 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 contributes to research and development activities aimed at delivering innovative vegetable varieties that meet the evolving needs of growers and markets. 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 integrating innovation with sustainability. Techniques such as genome wide association studies, marker assisted selection and new breeding technologies 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.
Laura Swinkels, Leek Breeder at BASF | Nunhems, Netherlands
Laura Swinkels is the leek breeder at BASF | Nunhems in the Netherlands, working on one of Europe’s most important vegetable crops. With seven years of experience in plant breeding, she has already developed a strong reputation for combining scientific rigour with a clear understanding of growers’ needs.
Laura focuses on improving yield, quality and sustainability in leek production while addressing practical challenges faced by growers and plant raisers.
One example of her work is the integration of improved cleanability and uniformity across breeding segments, helping growers increase efficiency and productivity, particularly as labour costs rise and mechanisation becomes more important. She is also advancing resistance breeding against diseases such as rust and pests like thrips, contributing to reduced reliance on chemical treatments.
Looking ahead, Laura sees genomic selection and artificial intelligence as powerful tools to increase breeding efficiency. At the same time, she emphasises the importance of delivering robust, high quality varieties that remain resilient under diverse growing conditions and evolving market demands.
Quentin Duprat, Sorghum Breeder at RAGT, France
Quentin Duprat is part of a new generation of plant breeders combining scientific innovation with a strong sense of purpose. Originally from Mayotte Island, he began his career at CIRAD in Réunion Island, where he worked on improving resistance to Ralstonia in local crop varieties, addressing real challenges faced by farmers in demanding growing conditions.
He later joined RAGT, where he has progressed rapidly from assistant breeder to sorghum breeder. Quentin is particularly passionate about sorghum, which he considers a strategic crop for the future of agriculture thanks to its strong performance in climate smart, low input farming systems. In his work, he has introduced advanced breeding approaches such as genomic prediction and factorial design methods, significantly improving breeding efficiency and enabling faster decision making.
He also led the development of counter season breeding activities in Senegal, increasing the number of breeding cycles per year. Quentin believes innovation in breeding will be essential to develop resilient crops that can support farmers in an increasingly uncertain climatic and agricultural landscape.
Gamze Alagöz, Cucumber Breeder at KWS Vegetables, Türkiye
Gamze Alagöz is a cucumber breeder at KWS Vegetables in Antalya, Türkiye, combining strong scientific training with a practical, hands on approach to crop improvement. She holds a master of science in plant breeding and genetics from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ CIHEAM), where she developed a solid foundation in modern breeding techniques.
In her work, Gamze has contributed to advancing parthenocarpic cucumber breeding by introducing a novel single seed descent approach that enables earlier identification of promising genetic material and helps shorten breeding cycles. This work supports more efficient variety development while maintaining a strong focus on quality and performance for growers.
Gamze believes the future of plant breeding will rely increasingly on the integration of data driven methods, sustainability goals and emerging technologies. In her view, combining modern breeding tools with practical field knowledge will be essential to develop resilient, high performing varieties that meet the needs of both producers and consumers.
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 commitment 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, genomics 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 emphasises the importance of accessibility, collaboration and responsible innovation 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 chicory breeding at United Beet Seeds in France, where she works on developing improved varieties for growers and the processing industry. Through her work, she has helped strengthen the competitiveness of the company’s chicory breeding programme, including the development of varieties with herbicide tolerance and reduced inulin breakdown, traits that are important for both crop management and industrial 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 opportunities 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 varietal improvement. By developing varieties 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 traditional breeding methods with modern techniques such as marker assisted selection, speed breeding and new genomic approaches. By integrating both established and emerging technologies, he seeks to accelerate progress while maintaining strong agronomic performance in forage crops.
Miriam Fernández Calleja, Genomics Project Lead at Semillas Fitó, Spain
Miriam Fernández Calleja works at the intersection of genomics, biotechnology and practical plant breeding, contributing to horticultural breeding 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 breeding value chain, from market needs and germplasm diversity to advanced biotechnological approaches. By integrating insights from multidisciplinary teams, she helps transform complex datasets into clear, data driven decisions that support breeders in developing improved varieties.
Miriam represents a new generation of plant breeders who combine strategic thinking with strong analytical 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 competitiveness 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 markets across Europe. The programmes he supports serve a market of nearly 12 million hectares across 13 countries, contributing to the development of hybrids that are already making a commercial impact for growers in the region.
Henry represents the collaborative nature of modern plant breeding. Bringing new hybrids to market requires close coordination between breeders, data scientists, seed production 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 artificial 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 capable 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 development 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 foundation in experimentation, genetics and crop improvement, skills she now applies in her breeding activities.
Laure is motivated by the potential 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 discussions on biodiversity at the World Alfalfa Congress in Reims further strengthened her commitment to linking genetic innovation with environmental stewardship.
Hylke Hoogenberg, Plant Breeder at Aardevo B.V., Netherlands
Hylke Hoogenberg is a plant breeder at Aardevo B.V. in the Netherlands, recognised for his ability to operate at the intersection of plant biology and data analysis. He combines a strong theoretical background in genetics, statistics and selection theory with a practical understanding of breeding programmes and product development.
Hylke is known for quickly grasping complex processes and identifying opportunities to improve breeding strategies. His ability to retain detailed knowledge of germplasm and breeding pipelines allows him to make well informed and strategic decisions that strengthen programme outcomes.
He believes the future of plant breeding will increasingly be shaped by consumer demand for more sustainable products and production systems. Breeding programmes will need to prioritise traits such as disease resistance, resource use efficiency and resilience to climate stresses. While he sees great potential in new genomic technologies to enhance breeding progress, he emphasises that they should complement rather than replace conventional breeding, helping to improve strong genetic backgrounds and accelerate the development of sustainable crop varieties.
Prutha Patel, Plant Breeder at CN Seeds Ltd, United Kingdom
Prutha Patel is a young plant breeder at CN Seeds Ltd in the United Kingdom, bringing enthusiasm, curiosity and strong dedication to her work in crop improvement. Passionate about plant breeding and its role in agriculture, she is committed to developing new varieties that contribute to more sustainable farming systems and improved food security.
Working within CN Innovation’s research and development team, Prutha combines practical breeding work with a strong awareness of the needs of growers and the wider market. She actively engages with feedback from growers and commercial teams, using these insights to guide selection decisions and help ensure that new varieties deliver real value in the field.
Prutha believes plant breeders play a key role in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture. She supports the responsible use of innovation, including new genomic techniques in line with UK regulations, while considering their practical and ethical implications. Through collaboration and continuous learning, she aims to develop resilient, high performing varieties that support farmers and strengthen the competitiveness of the seed sector.
Miguel Ángel Moreno Martínez, Plant Biotechnologist and Young Plant Breeder at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain
Miguel Ángel Moreno Martínez developed an early interest in plant breeding while growing up around agriculture, watching his grandfather face the constant challenge of protecting crops from diseases and yield losses. This experience inspired him to pursue plant biotechnology and to work on practical solutions that can benefit farmers.
At the Polytechnic University of Valencia, he has contributed to the development of improved melon varieties, including a yellow melon resistant to Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) and a Piel de Sapo melon resistant to Macrophomina. His work combines classical breeding with advanced molecular tools to accelerate the development of disease resistant crops.
He is currently researching resistance mechanisms to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) in tomato, one of the most significant emerging viral threats in horticulture. In 2025, he received the first ANOVE prize for final degree projects for his research on ToLCNDV infection in melon genotypes. For Miguel Ángel, plant breeding is about anticipating future challenges and developing resilient varieties that help farmers secure stable harvests.
Florian Barthès, Plant Breeder at PeaBoost, France
Florian Barthès is a plant breeder working within PeaBoost in France, a collaborative breeding initiative bringing together Limagrain, Florimond Desprez and RAGT to strengthen innovation in field pea breeding. Earlier in his career at RAGT, Florian worked in the company’s field pea breeding programme, where he helped consolidate a long established programme and contributed to the development of successful varieties such as Iconic.
Despite field pea being a relatively small crop in the seed market, Florian has played an important role in introducing modern breeding approaches such as genomic selection and expanding breeding targets to include traits like aphid and virus resistance. His ability to combine technical expertise with collaboration across organisations led to his role coordinating shared breeding efforts within PeaBoost.
Florian believes plant breeding can have a direct and practical impact on agriculture, particularly for crops like grain legumes that support more sustainable farming systems. By improving the performance and reliability of nitrogen fixing crops such as peas, he hopes to help strengthen crop rotations and contribute to reducing Europe’s reliance on external protein sources.
Emily Verdeyen, Plant Breeder at Dümmen Orange Netherlands B.V., Netherlands
Emily Verdeyen is a plant breeder at Dümmen Orange in the Netherlands, working on the development of new rose varieties. Breeding roses presents unique challenges, as the crop is tetraploid and many of the traits that determine commercial success are genetically complex and can only be evaluated several years after a new genotype is created.
Emily has demonstrated a strong ability to navigate these challenges through creative thinking, dedication and close collaboration with colleagues across multiple departments. Her work contributes to accelerating progress in a crop traditionally characterised by long breeding cycles.
She believes the future of ornamental breeding will increasingly rely on predictive and genomic approaches that allow breeders to identify promising parental lines earlier in the breeding process. By combining these tools with careful field evaluation, Emily aims to develop resilient and sustainable rose varieties that perform well under both biotic and abiotic stresses while requiring fewer chemical and nutrient inputs. For her, innovation in breeding is key to meeting evolving expectations from growers and consumers alike.
Tommaso Cerioli, Corn Breeding Scientist at Corteva Agriscience, Italy
Tommaso Cerioli is a young plant breeder at Corteva Agriscience in Italy, where he works as a corn breeding scientist developing new maize inbreds and hybrids for European agriculture. In his role, he contributes to the advancement of elite maize products, working closely with commercial teams to help deliver high performing hybrids that meet the needs of farmers across diverse growing environments.
Tommaso holds a PhD from Louisiana State University, where his research focused on genomic selection and improving breeding efficiency in applied rice breeding programmes. This experience provided him with a strong quantitative and data driven foundation, which he now applies in his commercial maize breeding work.
Looking ahead, Tommaso sees plant breeding as a key driver in addressing the challenges of climate change and agricultural sustainability. By combining innovative breeding strategies with emerging tools such as genomic selection, genome editing and artificial intelligence, he aims to accelerate the development of resilient and high performing crop varieties for the future.
Rémi Ollivier, Postdoctoral Researcher at Aarhus University, Denmark
Rémi Ollivier is a plant biologist working at the intersection of quantitative genetics and genomics at Aarhus University in Denmark. His research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of disease resistance in perennial ryegrass, with a particular emphasis on rust diseases that significantly impact crop performance and yield.
By applying advanced genomic approaches, Rémi works to identify key genetic regions associated with resistance traits, supporting the development of improved breeding strategies. His work contributes to accelerating breeding progress while helping reduce reliance on chemical crop protection, an increasingly important objective in modern agriculture.
Rémi represents a new generation of researchers who bridge fundamental science and applied plant breeding. He believes that integrating data driven methods and new genomic techniques will be essential to deliver faster, more precise and sustainable crop improvement. Through his work, he contributes to strengthening crop resilience and advancing innovation within the European seed sector.
Baptiste Mossotti, Carrot Breeder for the Northern Europe Breeding Programme at Vilmorin-Mikado, France
Baptiste Mossotti is a carrot breeder at Vilmorin-Mikado in France, working within the Northern Europe breeding programme to develop improved varieties for growers across diverse environments. He combines strong analytical skills with practical breeding insight, using biostatistics, large scale data management and modern genetic and genomic tools to support breeding decisions.
Known for his curiosity and collaborative approach, Baptiste brings a thoughtful and forward looking perspective to plant breeding. His work reflects a new generation of breeders who are comfortable navigating both field based experimentation and increasingly complex datasets.
Baptiste believes the role of the breeder will evolve significantly as breeding programmes rely more heavily on advanced data analysis, genomic information and high throughput phenotyping technologies. At the same time, he stresses that field evaluation will remain essential. As climate change increases abiotic stresses and disease pressures while chemical control options decline, breeders must combine predictive tools with real world observation to deliver resilient and productive crop varieties.
