Educating the Next Generation of Plant Breeders: Challenges of Integrating Plant Biotechnology

Abstract

Modern plant breeding has progressed by incorporating knowledge from many disciplines. It has become clear that developments in plant biotechnology have potentially significant application to plant breeding, but it has been and shall remain a challenge to determine how to best integrate advances in this field into graduate curricula. To gain a broader perspective on this topic, we surveyed public and private sector plant breeders and research administrators regarding their graduate and professional training experience and opinions on the utility of plant biotechnology in plant breeding programs. We report and discuss survey results and identify possible avenues for integrating plant biotechnology into graduate plant breeding training programs. The 508 responses were equally divided among the private and public sectors. Plant breeders were optimistic about the potential importance of their knowledge of plant biotechnology. Examination of course programs suggest plant breeders feel well prepared for their profession; however, there seems to be some need to increase exposure to plant pathology, molecular genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. More recent graduates have incorporated some of these areas through graduate research activities. Opportunities for integration were apparent through seminar topic selection, modest course addition, and postgraduate training programs for graduate students and faculty. The goal of graduate plant breeding programs should remain constant: educating scientists, producing materials, and identifying knowledge leading to production of plant germplasm having the desired characteristics. This goal will be achieved by scientists trained to critically assess developments in plant biology and integrate them into plant breeding research programs.