Plant Breeding Matters

About Plant Breeding Matters

Plant Breeding Matters because better plants don't just happen. If you're curious about how plants are improved genetically, then you've come to the right place. Join Professor Rex Bernardo (University of Minnesota) as he talks about what matters in plant breeding, and why it matters. Here you'll learn something new about plant breeding, or gain a better appreciation and understanding of something you might already know.

Publisher

Rex Bernardo

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Sept 2026

Latest episode

4 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Nov 2026

   Do it again

   Plant breeding is a long-term effort, with the breeding process being repeated over time instead of trying to do everything in one fell swoop. Tune in to find out why.

2. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Good ingredients

   A good dish starts from good ingredients. The same applies to plant breeding, with the ingredients being the germplasm used as parents to create new varieties.

3. 

   21 Oct 2026

   How are the plants doing?

   To identify the "survivors" in a breeding program, plant breeders need to continually assess the performance of the plants for different characteristics. Find out what this process (aka phenotyping) entails.

4. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Taking the plant's lead

   A plant breeder may be the one designing and executing a breeding program, yet a breeder needs to carefully consider and follow the natural mode of reproduction of a given plant species.

5. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Genetics 101

   Plant breeding relies on the science of genetics. Here's a quick introduction to (or review of) key genetic principles and concepts that are important in plant improvement.

6. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Survivor, GMOs, and a manufacturing process

   The process of improving plants genetically may seems daunting. The underlying concepts in plant improvement, however, are easily understandable.

7. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Plants for human benefit

   Plants meet the most basic of human needs, yet we often take them for granted. This episode focuses on just how amazing plants are.

8. 

   19 Sept 2026

   Welcome to Plant Breeding Matters!

   I'm glad you found this podcast! In this trailer episode, I'll introduce myself and describe what this Plant Breeding Matters podcast is all about.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact Plant Breeding Matters

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.