AMES, Iowa — The Plant Breeding Award Committee announces Venkata Naresh Boddepalli as the Spring 2026 recipient of the C. R. Weber Award for
Excellence in Plant Breeding.
Originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, Boddepalli developed an early interest in plant breeding through his experiences in a smallholder farming community. He earned degrees in horticulture in India before spending nearly eight years with the World Vegetable Center, leading legume breeding programs across South and Central Asia.
Currently a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University under Dr. Arti Singh, Boddepalli focuses on integrating high-throughput phenotyping, genomics, and AI to improve mungbean. His research has been published in G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics, with additional work forthcoming in Agronomy Journal.
Beyond his research achievements, Boddepalli has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service. He served as President and Co-Chair of the 13th Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium and represented his peers as Agronomy Senator in the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. His accomplishments have also been recognized with the 2026 Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science and designation as a 2026 NAPB Borlaug Scholar.
The C. R. Weber Award recognizes outstanding achievement and promise in plant breeding, and Boddepalli exemplifies both.