AMES, Iowa — The 2025 Plant Breeding Field Day, held Wednesday, August 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., brought together more than 30 students, faculty
and researchers to explore cutting-edge developments in sorghum and mungbean breeding at Iowa State University. The event featured field demonstrations and presentations from the labs of Dr. Maria Salas-Fernandez and Dr. Arti Singh.
Attendees, including Agronomy Department Chair Dr. Glen Ritchie, began the morning at the mungbean demonstration plot, where Dr. Singh and her team—including graduate students Naresh Boddepalli, Ashlyn Rairdin, Yanben Shen, Elizabeth Tranel, and research associate Ben Marlow—shared insights into their breeding pipeline. The team discussed their recent cultivar releases, ISU Mung-1 and ISU Mung-2, and walked participants through the field to showcase ongoing trials. Research efforts aimed at improving herbicide efficacy for Midwestern mungbean production were also highlighted. To connect science with consumer experience, the team offered a variety of mungbean-based snacks for attendees to sample.
At the sorghum plot, Dr. Salas-Fernandez led a tour focused on sorghum’s potential as a lignocellulosic biomass crop. Her lab’s newly developed high biomass hybrids, capable of yielding over 30 tons of dry matter per hectare, were on display. She also discussed advancements in cold tolerance breeding, which could expand sorghum’s planting window in northern climates. A demonstration of cytoplasmic male sterility illustrated techniques for hybrid seed production, and additional plots showcased hybrid and backcross breeding strategies.
Both demonstrations were well received, offering participants a hands-on look at the future of crop improvement. The event underscored Iowa State’s leadership in plant breeding and its dedication to addressing the evolving needs of agriculture through research and innovation.