Iowa State Plant Breeding Student Nate Bowser Named FFAR Fellow
AMES, Iowa, Aug. 2026, Nate Bowser, a doctoral student in agronomy and plant breeding at Iowa State University, has been selected as a 2026-2029
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellow, a prestigious program that supports emerging leaders in food and agricultural sciences.
Bowser conducts research under the guidance of Dr. Jianming Yu, Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding and director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding. His work focuses on understanding the genetic factors that influence sorghum yield and how crops respond to environmental conditions.
The FFAR Fellows Program provides three years of professional development, leadership training, mentorship and industry engagement opportunities designed to prepare the next generation of agricultural leaders.
“Sorghum is an important crop around the world,” Bowser said. “I am seeking to understand the underlying systems influencing its performance, with the hope of improving yield to ultimately benefit farmers.”
He is also working on improving the genetic diversity of maize in the United States, contributing to a large collaborative project with the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) program that has a goal of evaluating the usefulness of various GEM-released lines within commercial breeding programs. The Iowa Crop Improvement Association is helping sponsor his FFAR fellowship.
In addition to his research, Bowser will serve as co-chair of the 2027 Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium, helping organize the annual event that brings together students, researchers and industry professionals from across the plant breeding community.
Bowser's selection recognizes both his research accomplishments and his potential to make meaningful contributions to the future of agriculture through plant breeding and crop improvement. Check out Nate's FFAR Fellow Page HERE!