More than 400 plant breeding professionals and students gathered at Texas A&M University for the National Association for Plant Breeding conference, where discussions centered on artificial intelligence, genomics and phenomics as tools to advance crop improvement.
The conference, themed "AI-Driven Innovation: Transforming Genomes and Phenomes for the Future of Plant Breeding," brought together participants from the public and private sectors representing more than 40 crops. The event was hosted by the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
The meeting provided opportunities for graduate students seeking careers, early-career researchers and established industry professionals to exchange technical knowledge, discuss a national plant breeding agenda and help prepare the next generation of plant scientists.
Conference sessions highlighted how breeding programs are integrating genomics, phenomics, data analytics and artificial intelligence to improve decision-making throughout the breeding process. Organizers emphasized the importance of collaboration among scientists, data specialists and industry leaders to connect emerging technologies with practical applications in agriculture.
As part of the conference, attendees toured several Texas A&M AgriLife research facilities, including the Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center, Automated Precision Phenotyping Greenhouse, National Center for Electron Beam Research, Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine and the Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture. The tour also included a leadership delegation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Texas A&M AgriLife researchers showcased breeding programs spanning agronomic and horticultural crops. These included rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, cotton, potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, roses, pecans and hibiscus.
Researchers also presented breeding advances involving food and feed crops, fuel-related crops such as corn, and fiber crops including hemp and cotton. They highlighted how Texas' diverse geography and climate allow breeders to evaluate crops such as rice, peanuts and potatoes across a range of growing conditions.
The conference concluded with a tour of RiceTec, a rice breeding company founded by former Texas A&M faculty member Hank Beechell, whose work contributed to the Green Revolution.
Source: Texas A&M, "Improving efficiency: Nation’s plant breeders discuss emerging technologies"