Plant Breeding is the genetic improvement of crop plants through the study and application of genetics, statistics, agronomy, plant pathology, entomology, and related sciences.
- Maize
- Soybean
- Sorghum
- Sunflower
- Other crops in conjunction with the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station.
An advanced degree in plant breeding offers tremendous job opportunity:
- Management and operation of public and private plant breeding programs
- Research on plant breeding methodologies, bio-technologies, and information technologies to improve breeding efficiency and effectiveness
- Cultivar development
Learning Goals that students in this program are expected to meet include:
- Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of scholarly literature in the area of study, i.e., plant breeding.
- Form testable hypotheses and articulate research objectives that, when met, will lead to significant contributions to the field of study.
- Conduct original research via appropriate data acquisition, analysis, and reporting of data.
- Interpret research results appropriately, integrating them into the existing knowledge in the discipline.
- Clearly and accurately communicate research findings orally and in writing, and appropriate use of display items (tables, figures, and other appropriate types of presentation), electronic or other forms of media.
- Conduct scholarship, in teams or with independence, in ways that consistently demonstrate ethical practice and professionalism.
Leandro Tonello Zuffo, a PhD student visiting from Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil with an interest in agronomy arrived to Iowa State University on August 30, 2018 and is conducting research with Dr. Thomas Lubberstedt. Leandro’s research focus is on the application of tools and methods provided by genome analysis to understand the composition of complex traits and phenomena, to determine and exploit genetic diversity in elite and exotic germplasm and apply this knowledge to plant breeding.
