My research focus is on plant breeding for sustainable cropping systems. I take multiple approaches, including breeding for organic systems, for intercropping and polyculture systems, for pest resistance, and for ecosystem services. I work with a range of species, including cover crops, perennial forages, bioenergy crops, and hemp.
Teaching Focus:
I am passionate about teaching core competencies for future plant breeders, and teach one of Cornell’s core plant breeding courses, PLSCI 4030/6030: Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants. I teach other courses at the intersection of plant breeding and agroecology, including a course on participatory research methods (PLSCI 6180) and a seminar on breeding perennial crops (PLSCI 4090/6090). I prioritize inclusive teaching approaches and community-engaged learning.
Mentoring:
I mentor students at the undergraduate and graduate level. I currently advise students in the Plant Sciences and Biological Sciences undergraduate majors, Integrative Plant Sciences MPS program, and the Plant Breeding and Soil and Crop Science graduate programs. My lab often hires undergraduate students to assist with fieldwork over the summer; please contact me by email if you are interested in ways to engage with my research group.
Publications
Selected publications:
- Thapa, R., S. Hanson, J. Hua, and V.M. Moore. 2025. Breeding for cold tolerance in common annual legume cover crops. Crop Science 65(3). doi: 10.1002/csc2.70059
- Tilhou, N., L. Kissing Kucek, V. Moore, S. Hanson, S.C. Reberg-Horton, M. Ryan, N.J. Ehlke, A. Bartow, B. Carr, J. Douglas, J. Englert, J. Raasch, A. Woodard, J. Crawford, R. Crawford, S. Ali, S. Bhamidimarri, S.B. Mirsky, M. Monteros, G. Moore, A. Gamble, N. Rajan, S. Narayanan, E. Haramoto, N. Basinger, V. Sykes, A. McWhirt, M. Reiter, and H. Riday. 2025. Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) germplasm contains a cryptic second species (Vicia varia Host). Crop Science 65(1). doi: 10.1002/csc2.21455
- Moore, V., E. Fratz, D. Baltensperger, S. Ellison, H. Grab, L. Sosnoskie, D. Suchoff, and D. Vergara. 2025. Building a resilient organic hemp industry: survey and focus groups assess research, extension, and education needs. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment 8(1). doi: 10.1002/agg2.70018.
- Medina, C.A., D. Zhao, M. Lin, M. Sapkota, A.M. Sandercock, C.T. Beil, M.J. Sheehan, B.M. Irish, L.X. Yu, H. Poudel, A. Claessens, V. Moore, J. Crawford, J. Hansen, D. Viands, M.D. Peel, N. Tilhou, H. Riday, E.C. Brummer, and Z. Xu. 2025. Pre-breeding in alfalfa germplasm develops highly differentiated populations, as revealed by genome-wide microhaplotype markers. Scientific Reports 15(1): 1253. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-84262-x.
- Tilhou, N., L. Kissing Kucek, V. Moore, S. Hanson, S.C. Reberg-Horton, M.R. Ryan, N. Ehlke, A. Bartow, B. Carr, J. Douglas, J. Englert, J. Crawford, R. Crawford, S. Ali, S. Bhamidimarri, S. Mirsky, M.J. Monteros, R. Hayes, and H. Riday. 2024. Seed size has a major impact on fall seedling vigor in the cover crop hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth). Crop Science 65(1). doi: 10.1002/csc2.21439
- Kissing Kucek, L., K. Muller, L.B. Martins, V. Moore, S.C. Reberg-Horton, S.B. Mirsky, J. Englert, L. Drinkwater, J.L. Douglas, S. Seehaver, T. Butler, M. Ryan, A. Casey, K.M. Clark, N.J. Ehlke, J.R. Hendrickson, J.A. Guretzky, H. Johnson, D.W. Archer, R.J. McGee, S. Ali, A. Bartow, V. Bullard, A. Burke, R. Barrett, C. Berneau, B. Carr, R. Crawford, K. Griffin, E. Henriquez Inoa, H. Hillhouse, M. Humphrey, M. Smither-Kopperl, S. Krogman, S. Lee, A. Marion, N. McGhee, I. Silvernail, P. Thevar, S. Wayman, N. Wiering, D. Wiggans, and H. Riday. 2024. Genetic and Environmental Drivers of Legume Cover Crop Performance: Hairy vetch. Crop Science 64(6): 3052-3072. doi: 10.1002/csc2.21318
- Thapa, R., K.H. Kunze, J. Hansen, C. Pierce, V. Moore, I. Ray, L. Wickes-Do, N. Morales, F. Sabadin, N. Santantonio, M.A. Gore, and K. Robbins. 2024. Proximal Sensing for estimating genetic parameter and modeling development curves, stability in alfalfa. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 14(11). doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae200.
- Rebong, D., S. Henriquez Inoa, V.M. Moore, S.C. Reberg-Horton, S. Mirsky, J.P. Murphy, and R.G. Leon. 2024. Breeding allelopathy in cereal rye for weed suppression. Weed Science 72(1): 30-40. doi: 10.1017/wsc.2023.64.
- Moore, V.M., T. Peters, B. Schlautman, and E.C. Brummer. 2023. Towards plant breeding for multicrop systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120(14). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205792119
- Poffenbarger, H., M. Castellano, D. Egli, A. Jaconi, and V. Moore. 2023. Contributions of plant breeding to soil carbon storage: Retrospect and prospects. Crop Science 63(3): 990-1018. doi: 10.1002/csc2.20920.
- Brzozowski, L., S. Hanson, J.L. Jannink, B. Meints, V. Moore, H. Tufan, and S. Villwock. 2022. Towards Equitable Public Sector Plant Breeding in the US. Crop Science 62(6): 2076-2090. doi: 10.1002/csc2.20800
- Moore, V.M., B. Schlautman, S. Fei, L.M. Roberts, M. Wolfe, M.R. Ryan, S. Wells, and A.J. Lorenz. 2022. Plant Breeding for Intercropping in Temperate Field Crop Systems: A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science 13. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.843065
