“The art of the science”

Jessie Alt,

Wednesday, February 26^th, 2025

Agronomy 3140, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Description: Science is the exciting part of plant breeding.  There can be an art to getting the science done.  Jessie will share examples through her career where people, ideas, and data were brought together to solve interesting questions in soybeans and wheat. 

Jessie Alt is the Global Wheat Lead for Corteva Agriscience.  She has strong background in both varietal and hybrid crop breeding.  Jessie is experienced at working with field teams, farmers, and agronomists to identify product line gaps. She is passionate about enabling farmer success through improved plant genetics.  Beyond research, she believes in building for the future by engaging children in agriculture and science.

Jessie has significant experience in plant breeding including product development and traits.  She has a PhD and MS in plant genetics from Iowa State University along with a BS degree in Agronomy from South Dakota State University. 

Jessie began her professional career in 2005 as a soybean breeder with Schillinger Seed responsible for development and characterization of RM I, II, and III soybeans.  In 2007, she joined Pioneer in Algona, IA where she transitioned the soybean testing effort to a full soybean breeding program focused on RM I and II varieties.  While at Algona, Jessie took on the lead of the Insect Team for Soybean Product Development focusing on identification and introgression of native traits for insect tolerance.  In 2010, Jessie moved to Dallas Center, IA and took the lead of the existing RM II and III soybean breeding program.  In 2018, she took on the role of Global Wheat Lead for Corteva Agriscience.