Bayer’s Natalie Kaiser is Rewriting the Rules of What Food is
The innovation unit she now helps lead is tackling one of agriculture’s toughest riddles: how do you breed for human preference?
Italians Spent Thousands of Years Perfecting Grape Cultivation
New research traces Italy’s grapevine domestication over 7,000 years, analyzing 1,700 archaeological seeds to reveal the slow evolution of viticulture.
Playing the Long Game: Resilience, Innovation and Trust for Today’s Agriculture
Our family farm stands as a testament to resilience. When my parents bought the land in the early 1980s, the farm economy was in crisis—soaring interest rates, high input costs, and little reason for optimism. But through grit, adaptability, and tough sacrifices, they pushed through. Now, decades later, we’re having succession conversations no one thought we’d ever get to have.
The Plan After the Planter: Six Questions to Ask Now to Set Up Next Season
Planting season is tough—weather, breakdowns, and tight timelines make it one of the most stressful times of the year. But with most seeds in and the dust settling for 2025, now’s the time to pause. Before the season picks up, take a moment to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved for next year. It doesn’t have to be complicated—just intentional.
Customization Creates Meaningful Relationships
Tailoring products or services is a powerful way to build meaningful relationships with clients. When we launched Genovix in 2019, we were confident it offered the core features and capabilities most plant breeders require. At the same time, we recognized that some customers would have unique needs beyond what the standard package could provide.
Harnessing Covey’s 7 Habits to Build Stronger Relationships
I’m constantly working to grow as a person. In my efforts to become a better father, husband, leader, and boss, I turn to books and podcasts for insight and direction. One resource that has had a profound impact on me is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
A Guelph Researcher was Just Named Among the NAPB’s 2025 Plant Breeding Rockstars
According to Canada’s largest certified seed supplier, Rajcan’s practical approach to breeding has generated a large, broadly-adapted germplasm base.
Coloured Wheat for Whole-Grain Reluctance
Coloured wheat varieties, like white and purple wheat, offer nutrient-rich, tasty alternatives for whole-grain bread. Recent trials in Germany show they can produce appealing bakery products.
Global Efforts to Harness Science and Partnerships to Transform Millets
Millets are climate-resilient, low-input crops that enhance food security. IYM 2023 highlighted their importance, with FAO and IAEA supporting global research and awareness.
Meet the Plant Breeding Rockstars of 2025: NAPB Names its Top Innovators
The National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) honored 2025 awardees across five categories, recognizing excellence in research, education, and leadership that advances plant breeding and food security.
The Breeder Who Bridged Academia and Industry—One Student at a Time
How do you spark a global movement without a blueprint? For Tabaré Abadie, it started with one quiet question: what if students ran the show?
Lane Selman’s Secret Recipe for Better Seeds: Breeders, Chefs, and a Whole Lot of Flavor
The Variety Showcase connects the behind-the-scenes world of seed development with the very visible world of food culture.
She Showed up and Found Her Dream Career—Now Neha Kothari is Paying it Forward
Kothari’s own career is a testament to the power of professional community.
Can a Plant Tell You When it’s Thirsty? Michael Gore Says Yes
This National Association for Plant Breeding award winner wants to give plants a voice through data.
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.