Graduate Student Spotlight: Venkata Naresh Boddepalli
PhD Candidate, Plant Breeding | Iowa State University
President and Co-chair, 13th Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium
When the 13th Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium convened this past March, it brought together students, faculty, and industry leaders to
explore the future of plant breeding. At the center of that effort was Venkata Naresh Boddepalli, a PhD student in plant breeding at Iowa State University who served as President and Co-chair of the symposium.
Naresh’s path to Iowa State was shaped by his upbringing in an agricultural community and eight years as a Scientific Officer at the World Vegetable Center and ICRISAT, where he witnessed firsthand the impact of improved crop varieties on smallholder farmers. “Seeing how resilient crop varieties can fundamentally change lives inspired me to bridge traditional plant breeding with modern technology,” he says.
His PhD research focuses on mungbean (Vigna radiata), an important legume for global nutritional security. By integrating high‑throughput phenotyping and genomics, Naresh studies the genetic basis of traits such as canopy architecture, flowering time, plant height, and seed characteristics to support the development of climate‑resilient, high‑yielding varieties.
“Plant breeding is our most effective tool in the fight for global food security,” Naresh notes.
After graduating later this year, he plans to move into a leadership role in commercial plant breeding, applying genomic prediction and deep learning to deliver impactful cultivars.
Recent Honors and Particpation:
- Plant and Animal Genome (PAG) mentorship program 2026
- Bayer B4U mentorship program 2025-26
- National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) Borlaug Scholar 2026
- Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science
When Naresh is not in the lab or the field, he is the “Weekend Chef” for his wife and two children. He loves taking over the kitchen to perfect his signature Biryani. When making this dish he applies the same precision he uses in genomic research by layering flavors and spices. Cooking is his favorite way to recharge and share his energy with his family.