The Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics is globally recognized for developing innovative approaches to crop improvement. Section faculty conduct “translational research” that bridges the gap between fundamental research and its implementation in applied breeding programs, leading to superior crop varieties.

Global food security initiatives with Cornell leadership

Many Plant Breeding & Genetics Faculty are jointly appointed in Cornell's Department of Global Development

woman working in a field

Rebecca Nelson serves as the Scientific Director for the McKnight Foundation's Collaborative Crop Research Program, a competitive grants program that funds agricultural research in developing countries.

two women working at a laptop

Genomic Open-source Breeding informatics initiative (GOBii) are a team of developers, statisticians, bioinformaticists and breeders with multiple Plant Breeding & Genetics faculty participating

cassava tubers

The NextGen Cassava Breeding project seeks to modernize partner cassava breeding institutions in Africa and use cutting-edge tools for improved cassava varieties with involvement from multiple Plant Breeding & Genetics faculty

diseased wheat

The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) is an international consortium, led in part by Cornell faculty, working to reduce the world’s vulnerability wheat rust and enhance world wheat productivity

woman working with rice plants in a growth chamber

The Rice Diversity Project is a collaborative effort directed by Susan McCouch and others to explore the genetic basis of variation in rice and its wild ancestors, identifying genes that can enhance the performance of modern cultivars.

two people examining crop plants

At the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, we equip National Agricultural Research Institutes with the power to define unique goals and drive crop improvement to reduce malnutrition, hunger and provide equitable benefits to women and youth.