Department of Plant Breeding

Our vision is to make a significant contribution to the efficient and sustainable production of food, feed, and industrial products derived from plants.

  • Our research aids the domestication and genetic enhancement of new crops
  • We identify how different factors affect end-product quality
  • We unravel the regulatory networks of storage compounds in plants

Education

Are you eager to contribute to sustainable agriculture, global food security, and better health?

Research outputs

Each year, we publish around 100 scientific papers and 5-10 PhD dissertations.
Current Affairs

News

  • 2025-06-16

    Breeding 360: Cross-disciplinary collaboration in focus

    On May 6–7, the SLU Breeding Network held its meeting titled Breeding 360: Collaboration across disciplines at Campus Ultuna.
  • 2025-06-12

    Studies on minimising apple waste

    Large quantities of apples from both private gardens and industrial production are discarded as waste. By adapting storage methods and by optimising the time of harvest however, the amount of waste could be reduced.
  • 2025-05-07

    Soil microbes shape the future of crop breeding

    A better understanding of the plant-microbe partnerships can lead to more resilient and sustainable agriculture. When breeding crops it is now time to consider both the plant and its microbial partners together.
  • 2025-05-02

    How crops shape their microbial communities

    With the help of microbes, plants can improve their growth, stay healthy, and endure stress. In a new study on finger millet, researchers show that plants play an active role in choosing which microbes live in and around them.
  • 2025-04-14

    Sustainable tomato protection and the power of the microbiome

    In his new thesis, Daniele Nicotra has uncovered mechanisms driving complex interactions within the plant microbiome. The goal is to develop new bioinoculants as sustainable alternatives to chemical products in tomato cultivation.

Research projects

  • 2023-11-01 - 2026-10-31

    ADVALUE

    Advancing Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains through Strengthening Transdisciplinary Skills and Cooperation in East African Doctoral Education (ADVALUE) addresses the need for qualified doctorates and future academic professionals in agricultural sciences.
  • 2025-04-01 - 2028-03-31

    inSALSA

    Increasing Sustainability of Agribiologicals by Living labs in sub-Saharan Africa (inSALSA) aims to enhance the use of agricultural biologicals as alternatives to hazardous agrochemicals through living labs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • 2024-10-01 - 2027-09-30

    AgBio4SSA

    AgBio4SSA explores agricultural biologicals as alternatives to hazardous agrochemicals through living labs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • 2023-12-01 - 2026-12-31

    Field cress - a new oilseed crop for Nordic conditions

    We are developing a new, bio-based value chain for renewable fuels and protein in Sweden, where field cress– a novel oilseed crop – takes center stage.
  • 2025-05-01 - 2029-04-30

    Expanding the functional genomics toolbox

    Dry, edible seeds from legumes known as pulses, are a staple in global diets, with peas and common beans ranking among the most consumed varieties. Before consumption pulses must be cooked, making cooking quality a crucial aspect. Unfortunately, cooking-quality defects such as hard-shell and hard-to-cook behaviour are prevalent in these pulses which severely affect their end-use quality.

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