Plant Breeding and Genetics

With the development of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Program, UNL is acknowledging that plant breeding efforts must be expanded to meet national growing demands for value-added traits, renewable energy resources, enhanced crop nutritional value, and improved crop performance on increasingly marginal lands exposed to new environmental stresses.

The Plant Breeding and Genetics Program combines several unique capabilities that are especially well suited for the type of graduate training environment we have created. As increasing amounts of genomic data become available, and genes are discovered that influence crop responses to abiotic stress, breeders must be skilled at accessing and effectively exploiting these sources of information. As environmental and safety regulations become more exacting, students will need appropriate training in crop management for strict identity preservation required to work with regulated transgenic traits under field conditions.

Our program aims to achieve a more diverse, technology-rich and integrated research and training experience with opportunities for regular interaction with commercial plant breeding programs. This type of diverse training will be essential for our future plant breeding Ph.D. students to move into industry or into academic positions. This PhD degree is conferred through the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.

Find out how to apply to the Plant Breeding and Genetics Program.

Meng Xie shows Dr. Ed Cahoon his results

Meng Xie shows Dr. Ed Cahoon his results.