In this episode with Kai Voss-Fels we dive into the complex world of grapevine breeding. Discover the unique challenges of breeding grafted crops. Enhancing genetic gain becomes multifaceted due to the fact that grapevines consist of two genetically distinct parts, the scion (upper) and rootstock (lower). Our discussion centers on addressing challenges such as water limitation, and drought stress for the lower section, while simultaneously focusing on improving sustainability by introgression...

In this episode Jörg Hagmann, Product Manager Pantograph, explores the concept of pangenomes, a collection of individual whole genome sequences. Discover the reasons why pangenomes and their associated research field is experiencing growth and increasing significance. Jörg discusses the vision behind the development of the interactive browser Pantograph and illustrates practical applications in pre-breeding and the identification of gene editing targets. Join us as we delve into the landscape...

In this episode Helen Brabham, Team Lead at 2Blades, provides a glimpse into the diverse projects of 2Blades. As a nonprofit organization 2Blades is bridging academia and industry, focusing on advancing scientific technologies for disease-resistant crops. Explore how they translate research into practical solutions for smallholder farmers, such as their Africa Soybean Program combating soybean rust. Delve into the NLRseek initiative, aimed at identifying crucial resistance genes to bolster...

In this episode Addie Thompson, Assistant Professor in the Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University, discusses her research on disease resistance to tar spot, a fungal pathogen affecting maize. Learn about different modeling prediction techniques and data collection approaches, ranging from manual measurements to high-throughput lidar data obtained via drones. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach, Thompson underscores the pivotal role of collaboration...

Our guest in this episode is Randall (Randy) Barker – Co-Founder and CEO at INTENT and Strategic Advisory Board Chairperson at Computomics. He discusses the challenges of adapting innovative agriculture products to the diverse practices and environments of different farmers and how technology helps farmers adopt products more effectively. Get insights into the global adoption of AgTech, highlighting the varying technological landscapes in different regions. And finally receive tips for...

In this episode, we talk to Jim Schwartz, Director of Research, Agronomy and PFR and Jason Gahimer, PFR Manager, both working for Beck’s Hybrids about the Practical Farm Research (PFR) program. Learn what the PFR program is, why it is important, and how farmers can get involved. Dive into the origins of the Practical Farm Research (PFR) program, tracing its roots back to 1964 when Sonny Beck started this unbiased research program to help farmers succeed by providing them with reliable...

Today’s guest is Kalliopi Rantsiou, professor at the University of Turin. Kelly is sharing insights into the SAFFI - Safe Food for Infants – project. This European funded project evaluates how pathogenic microorganisms may contaminate food for infants, and how we can understand ways of controlling these microorganisms. Learn what role next-generation sequencing technologies play in understanding the microbiota. In a second project, Kelly delves into fermented olives trying to understand what...

In this episode, we continue our conversation about barley with Matthias Nachtmann, Sustainability Business Development Lead at BASF. Matthias gives us insights into the "Better Barley" project, which has the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in barley cultivation while supporting farmers to meet the high protein standards for malting barley. Learn how companies can work with farmers to overcome the challenges of balancing sustainability and productivity. By developing new barley...

In this episode Brent Atthill, managing director of RMI Analytics GmbH delves into the fascinating world of barley. Explore the entire supply chain, uncovering the challenges and emerging trends within the industry. Brent provides valuable insights into why having the best quality barley is crucial for the malting process in the brewing industry and gain a better understanding of the role of technology and data in this sector. With his dedication to fostering exchange and sharing best...

In this episode Cyrill Stachniss, professor at the University of Bonn and spokesperson of the DFG Cluster of Excellence “PhenoRob - Robotics and Phenotyping for Sustainable Crop Production” sheds light on the purpose and focus of PhenoRob. Gain insights into the importance of optimizing field management with digital technologies like robotics or machine learning. How can we analyze every plant at high speed to provide management and automatic target actions for every plant. Are there...

In this episode Markus Stetter, group leader at the Institute for Plant Sciences at the University of Cologne and member of CEPLAS (Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science) takes us into the exciting history of Amaranth. Markus combines molecular and computational biology approaches to study the domestication of wild plants. Learn how wild plants became crops and how these crops spread around the globe. Furthermore get insights into CEPLAS, its research mission, focus area and education...

In this episode Diego Risso, Executive Director of URUPOV (Uruguayan Plant Breeders Association) and Secretary General of the SAA (Seed Association of the Americas), gives insights into the activities of both organizations. What are the major assets, what are the goals and challenges? Diego talks about the UPOV91 framework, intellectual property rights, plant breeders rights and much more. Which role does technology play for the seed industry? Which technology will be relevant in 2023 for...

Hannah Senior is CEO of PBS International, President of NAPB (National Association of Plant Breeders) and a podcast creator. In this episode you will get a glimpse into Hannah’s broad experience. Learn about the process of developing new solutions within PBS International for plant breeding. On top of that, Hannah shares her story on how she became the first president of the NAPB from outside North America. During her period as president of the NAPB Hannah is focusing on 3 themes: Putting...

In this episode Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust, gives comprehensive insights on the background, history and purpose of the Crop Trust. Learn how conserving seeds works and how it is ensured that the seeds are safe and secure. What is the difference between seed banks in general and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? Why is the Global Seed Vault located in Svalbard and what is so extraordinary about it? Stefan Schmitz joined the Crop Trust as Executive Director in January...

In this episode, Patrizia Ricca from Computomics gives us comprehensive insights into xSeedScore – a breeders’ tool to develop new crop varieties adjusted to future climates. Learn about how to work with xSeedScore, about the benefits of using machine learning, and how it differs from conventional methods. What data is needed to apply xSeedScore? What role does the interaction between genetics and temperature play for future varieties? Patrizia Ricca joined Computomics 4 years ago as...

In this episode Thomas Lübberstedt a professor of agronomy from Iowa State University shares his research goals focusing on doubled haploid technology in maize breeding. What are the challenges, what did they achieve already and what are the further research plans? How can doubled haploid speed up the process of getting homozygous lines? A second focus area is on the organic farming industry. Within 2 organic projects, Thomas is working with a sweet corn breeder and a popcorn breeder on...

In this episode Prof. Dr. Dominik Grimm from TUM Campus Straubing and Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences gives us insights into CropML, a BMBF funded project. The project evaluates new machine learning techniques for more accurate plant breeding by integrating heterogeneous external factors.  Different phenotype prediction models, including basic genomic selection methods to more advanced deep learning-based techniques have been compared. Learn why advanced models are the...

The October episode is a special one as we are celebrating 10 years of Computomics! We give a retrospect of Computomics through plants. Get to know 10 different plants Computomics has worked on. The plants range from rather well known ones like rice, soy, corn and banana up to rather unusual ones like the mamala tree which is native to various tropical islands. You will hear some fun facts about the plants before receiving some insights on the challenges and questions Computomics addressed....

In this episode, listen to Anne Buchwalder, an experienced plant breeder for different crops ranging from pea, cantaloupe, sweet and hot pepper to cocoa. Anne shares her view on sustainable agricultural production, what it implies for the consumer but also the impact on the producing country. Learn about the value chain from farmer to customer. The second part of this episode covers the role technology plays for plant breeding and how it can help plant breeders breed forward. Technology has...

To shorten the summer break we take a quick look back what we covered in the last season and give a preview of what to expect in season 4. We already have a great line-up for the next season, stay tuned and don't miss any episode! If there is anyone out there you would like to listen to with interesting stories in agriculture and technology, let us know. Just send us a short message to [email protected].

Anthony Hall is giving comprehensive insights into the Earlham Institute, the research projects he is working on and why it is important to surf the wave of data. Learn how technology helps in integrating all data – genomic, phenotypic and environmental data - and which role AI plays. Generating data, analyzing it and making it reusable is key to Anthony. Get insights into projects on circadian regulations of the transcriptome in polyploid crops, introgression breeding in wheat and GWAS on...

In this episode, Alessio D’Antino, the founder of Forward Fooding tells us about the start of the platform – from the very beginning of the idea to how it developed. Why is it important to connect all the players in the food and beverage ecosystem? How can we contribute positively to a system that leverages new technologies and makes it more efficient? What is the methodology behind the FoodTech 500 (FT500) - the fortune 500 of AgriTech?. Why is sustainability such an important criteria for...

In this episode, Karsten Borgwardt gives insights into his current research projects. In two examples, Karsten explains how machine learning algorithms are being developed specifically in the medical sector. Learn about the importance of massive amounts of data, and how this data is used to train a machine learning model to predict the probability of a sepsis of individual patients. Understand the various challenges, the importance of big datasets, the importance of validation, and why it’s a...

In this episode we talk to Tom Koch, research manager at Beck’s Hybrids. Tom talks about the challenges of a mid-size breeding company and gives insights into how technology helps Beck’s stay ahead of competition. Apart from technology, learn what else is important in corn breeding and what role data plays especially for phenotyping.