University of Florida to be new host for major plant breeding accelerator program

The University of Florida is the new home for an important partner in the effort to provide nutritious food for the nation and to keep farms competitive – a USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded program called Breeding Insight. The initiative supports public breeding efforts via more than 61 programs at the USDA as well as university-based programs across the country.

Scientists at Breeding Insight use advanced prediction methods -- including high-performance computing and artificial intelligence -- and custom software applications to dramatically accelerate the development of new pest- and disease-free crops that are more robust and nutritious.

They also bring their expertise to ornamental crops that support healthy ecosystems as well as animal breeding programs.

Breeding Insight scientists know how to rapidly translate discoveries from lab to field, which underpins real-world impact. Breeding Insight was recognized by the 2024 USDA Secretary’s Honor Award — for “their outstanding contribution to providing all Americans with safe, nutritious food.”

Among the nearly 50 species currently supported by Breeding Insight, 10 are among the top agricultural products for Florida: blueberry, alfalfa, strawberry, watermelon, lettuce, cucumber, sugarcane, citrus, potato and commercial beekeeping, said Moira Sheehan, director of Breeding Insight.

They also support honeybee and aquaculture industries to breed for improved genetic stock that are more durable. In this way, growers and producers can gain the best yields and market value while consumers benefit from U.S. agriculture production.

In addition to helping to breed crops that resist emerging pests and diseases, Breeding Insight scientists work to improve:

• Plant varieties to be more easily harvested through automation, saving labor and costs.
• Shelf life of fruits, nuts and vegetables.
• Crops with long growing cycles with more efficiency -- like pine and fruit trees.

“The shift of the program to the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) solidifies UF as the world’s best plant breeding program and brings additional seed funding and data analytic resources to UF/IFAS plant breeders,” said Damian Adams, UF/IFAS associate dean for research, who will manage the Breeding Insight program. “It also positions us to better support the agriculture industry in Florida through accelerated precision-breeding efforts.”

Several universities vied to be Breeding Insight’s new home, but Adams and Sheehan said that UF/IFAS was chosen because of the strength of its agricultural programs, stakeholder standing and UF’s world-class computing infrastructure – including HiPerGator.

“We are proud to serve as the new host of Breeding Insight,” said Scott Angle, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS. “The UF/IFAS world-class plant breeding program and nearly 300 Florida-produced commodities make this the perfect home for the program. Feeding the world will require that new plant varieties be developed at a much more rapid pace, and we are confident that Breeding Insight and UF/IFAS combined will be an important part of that effort.”

In the future, additional Florida crops can be supported, including cabbage, peanuts, cantaloupes, avocado and nursery plants, Sheehan said. Breeding Insight also hopes to expand to help Florida’s aquaculture industry for farm-raised tilapia, catfish, sturgeon, red drum, oysters and clams.

“I’m also excited about what Breeding Insight can bring to the table with novel varieties that work for smart farms, automated harvesters and other AI-driven tools,” said Adams. “This is an exciting partnership that can help Florida agriculture transition to high tech and stay ahead of the competition.”