Scientists Dismissed his Desert Farming. Now They’re Studying it
On the sun-scorched plateaus of Arizona, Dr. Michael Johnson is proving that ancient Indigenous knowledge can outsmart modern ag.
Seeds Across Borders: Navigating Science, Sovereignty, and Sustainability in Uncertain Times
Dr. Khaoula Belhaj-Fragnière (ISF) explains how global seed policy shapes the future of food, highlighting the importance of innovation, access, and trust.
Why Unity Matters Now: Michael Keller on Trust, Tension, and the Future of Seed
Michael Keller, ISF Secretary General, highlights the importance of trust, unity, and courageous leadership for navigating global challenges in the seed sector.
If Your Phenotyping Platform Doesn’t do This, You’re Already Behind, says Jaci McRoberts
NAPB Early Career Scientist Award winner Jacqueline Benson McRoberts is pioneering AI-driven digital phenotyping, mentoring the next generation, and shaping the future of plant research.
Why Türkiye? Why Now? Inside the Global Significance of World Seed 2025
Türkiye isn’t just hosting World Seed Congress 2025 — it’s emerging as a key player in the global seed industry, says ISF board member Hamdi Çiftçiler.
Is Our Modern Food System Forgetting the Meaning of a Meal?
If we only see food as a commodity—just a yield number on a spreadsheet or a dollar value on a futures contract—we miss something fundamental.
Juan Arbelaez is Helping Build the Platform That Could Save Public Breeding
For Juan David Arbelaez, progress is about mentoring the next wave of breeders so that innovation can scale where it’s needed most.
World Seed Congress 2025: Everyone’s Talking Innovation — But Here’s What Matters More
The unofficial theme of World Seed Congress 2025 in Istanbul: amidst change and complexity, the seed industry must stay connected through trust, not just deals or data.
She Collected 1,800 Seeds from Wild Cannabis—What She Found Could Rewrite Research on it
Cannabis sativa is better known to some as hemp, to others as marijuana—but to Shelby Ellison, simply as a plant with promise.
How One Scientist is Fighting Tomato Disease With Culture, Music and Memory
Borlaug Scholar Samuel Ipinyomi’s path from stew pots to greenhouses is a masterclass in blending tradition with cutting-edge science.
‘Supergenes’ Could be the Future of Farming — if we Learn How to Use Them
The sunflower is a familiar plant, but beneath those golden petals lies a genetic world far stranger and more complex than most of us ever imagined.
“Good Machines Aren’t Enough”: Here’s What the Seed Industry Needs Now in New Tec
PETKUS CEO Mark Scholze shares insights on evolving seed technology, building trust, and delivering meaningful innovation in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape.
DNA Analysis is the Modern Approach to Early Identification of Resistant Weeds
SGS Canada Crop Science now offers rapid herbicide resistance testing, delivering results in 1–2 weeks using a small leaf sample—replacing the traditional 4–6 month greenhouse process.
Germplasm isn’t Enough. You Need Paperwork, Partnerships and Infrastructure, says NAPB Award Winner Rex Bernardo
Breakthroughs often come from “non-elite” sources. To Bernardo, they are a testament to what lies outside of what breeders typically work with.
Fast Facts, Big Insights: Türkiye’s Seed Story in 10 Rapid Fire Sentences
Get a rapid-fire look at Türkiye’s seed sector with TSÜAB board member Süleyman Yavuz Ilgün. In just 10 sentences, he covers innovation, trade, generational shifts, and the country’s rising role in global seed markets.
How Indigenous Wisdom and Modern Science are Breeding a New Future for Hawai’i
On the volcanic slopes of Hawaiʻi Island, something extraordinary is happening — a revival of ancient knowledge, forgotten crops, and a more intimate relationship between people and plants.
Seed World Visits: The Future of Potatoes: Solynta’s Hybrid Breeding Revolution
Solynta is transforming potato farming with disease-free True Potato Seeds, tackling storage, climate, and disease challenges. Their innovation boosts yield and sustainability, earning the 2025 Seed World Global Innovation Showdown award.
EU and UK Announce Plans for Common SPS Area to Ease Agri-food Trade
The European Commission and the UK plan to establish a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area under a future SPS Agreement. The goal is to ease agri-food trade, simplify regulations, and ensure smoother cross-border supply chains between Great Britain, the EU, and Northern Ireland.
New Study: EU Can Do More to Protect Farmers from Growing Climate Risks
European farmers face €28B in annual losses from extreme weather, with potential increases of up to 66% by 2050. A new EIB and European Commission report urges expanded insurance and stronger EU-level risk management.
What I Learned Tearing Out and Rebuilding the Cleaning Plant
C&M Seeds reflects on nearly five decades of seed cleaning, sharing lessons learned while upgrading their aging plant and embracing small innovations that add up.
These 24 Young People Represent Plant Breeding’s Future
Twenty-four Borlaug Scholars were honoured at the National Association for Plant Breeding meeting in Hawai’i today.
Unlocking Year-Round Genetic Gain: The Value of Illinois Crop Improvement’s Puerto Rico Services for Plant Breeders
Puerto Rico’s year-round growing conditions offer plant breeders a unique opportunity for continuous research and production.
Could a Hidden Fungus Be the Future of UK Farming?
Researchers at The James Hutton Institute have found that a naturally occurring fungus in common grasses may offer solutions to key challenges facing UK farmers. Known as Epichloë, this endophytic fungus lives within plant tissues, and some species have been shown to enhance drought tolerance and provide natural resistance to pests.
Who Will Lead the Next Generation of Seed Innovation?
Dr. Jovan Djordjevic of UC Davis shares how the Plant Breeding Academy is preparing the next generation of innovators to tackle the looming leadership gap in plant breeding.
IN PHOTOS: The People, Places, and Pulse of World Seed 2025
Go behind the scenes at World Seed Congress 2025 in Istanbul, capturing candid moments, key conversations, and the energy of 1,500 seed leaders from 70+ countries shaping agriculture’s future.
World Seed Congress 2025 Kicks Off in Istanbul: A Global Gathering with Purpose
The World Seed Congress 2025 in Istanbul unites 1,500+ delegates from 70+ countries to tackle innovation, sustainability, trade, and food security in agriculture.
Inside the Quiet Powerhouse Driving Soybean Innovation
Illinois Crop Improvement Association sets the standard for seed health and market readiness, combining phytosanitary inspections with advanced industry-driven testing.
Farmers are Racing the Weather—and Each Other
The 2025 seeding season is off to a fast start—but no one’s calling it a sure thing just yet.
Cover Crops Not a Silver Bullet for Yield and Climate Goals, Cornell Scientists Find
“For the first time, we can have contextualized information about how farmers can choose the optimal mix of practices that meet their needs to maintain crop yields while also providing climate change mitigation,” said Dominic Woolf, senior research associate in Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science and principal investigator of the study.
Why Your Personal Brand Matters as Much as Your Ph.D
At the 2025 National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) meeting in Kona, Hawaii, a standout workshop on soft skills brought together graduate students and early-career scientists to focus on personal branding, leadership, and communication—skills increasingly recognized as essential in the agtech and plant science sectors.
Innovative Approach Enhances Prediction Accuracy of Agronomically Important Traits
Researchers from IPK Leibniz and Max Planck Institutes unveil a computational approach to track plant phenomes over time, improving genomic prediction for crop breeding.
Optimizing Grain Composition, Quality, and Processing for Plant Breeders
In today’s fast-changing agricultural market, plant breeders face growing pressure to develop high-performing crops that also meet specific grain quality needs for uses like food and biofuels. The Illinois Crop Improvement Association’s Identity Preserved Grain (IPG) Lab supports this effort with specialized testing and analytical services, backed by a strong history in identity-preserved seed and grain work.
Global Leaders Launch Collaborative Push for Food Security at Bonn Meeting
On May 12–13, global leaders met in Bonn for the first Global Flagship Initiative meeting, aiming to tackle hunger through innovation and collaboration, with a focus on Africa.
All Eyes on Istanbul: Seed’s Global Moment Starts Now
The World Seed Congress 2025 kicks off in Istanbul, bringing 1,500+ delegates from 70+ countries together to shape the future of the global seed sector.
The 2030 Farming Revolution Is Now!
Spring on a Midwest family farm is more than a season—it’s a sensory celebration of soil, growth, and the promise of a new growing season.
Seeding Strength Across America (and Here’s Who’s Getting It Right)
Agrality offers integrated U.S.-based services to help seed companies scale production, boost R&D, and accelerate market delivery with precision and flexibility.