Sustaining public plant breeding programs across generations
Abstract Plant breeding in the public sector is a multigenerational process that creates new plant varieties intended to meet current and future needs of society. Many public sector plant breeding programs are over a century old, and they continue to curate plant genetic resources that are far older still. While individual breeders serve as temporary leaders of these programs and the plant genetic resources they maintain, it is only their institutions that have the capacity to provide the necessary generational glue, enabling the accrual of long‐term value to both breeders and society. Identifying best practices to ensure mutual benefit to both public sector breeders and their institutions is critical to achieving the smooth leadership transitions necessary for the sustainability and long‐term impact of public breeding programs. The findings presented here suggest that the successful passing of the torch in such programs depends not only on strategic institutional support but also, critically, on the routine actions and mindset of the breeders entrusted with their leadership.
Authors
- Amanda M. Hulse‐Kemp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9670-9433)
- Anton Bekkerman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0615-1726)
- Richard C. Pratt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4824-025X)
- Ana María Heilman‐Morales
- Nathan Fumia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1933-1902)
- Iago Hale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8558-7861)
- Addie Thompson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4442-6578)
- Margaret Worthington (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8019-165X)
- Marnin Wolfe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5929-5785)
- Peng W. Chee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3915-9604)
- Ksenija Gašić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4391-5262)
- Trevor W. Rife (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5974-6523)
- Gayle M. Volk
- Fred M. Bourland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5998-8725)
- J.O. Zapata Arbeláez
- Mitchell J. Feldmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7257-3401)
- Neil O. Anderson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9794-0397)
- Jenna Hershberger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3147-6867)
- Michael Benjamin Kantar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5542-0975)
- Jim Luby
- Jenny Koebernick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9684-7147)
- Carlos Iglesias
- Martin Bohn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2364-6229)
- Kate Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2184-7433)
- Lukas A. Mueller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4935-3316)
- Margaret E. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7315-8309)
- Timothy Burke
- Steve Hague (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8105-3424)
- R. A. Vierling
Institutions
- New Mexico State University (US)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Agricultural Research Service (US)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- Bayer (United States) (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- University of New Hampshire (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Cornell University (US)
- University of Arkansas System (US)
- Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (US)
- Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (US)
- North Dakota State University (US)
- Washington State University (US)
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- Clemson University (US)
- Auburn University (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Michigan State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Crop Science
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70094
- Primary Topic
- Genetics and Plant Breeding
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture