Therese Bengtsson

I am a researcher driven by a deep curiosity for how plants defend themselves against pests and diseases, and how we can use that knowledge to develop more resilient crops. My work focuses on pre-breeding and plant-pathogen interactions in cereals, with an emphasis on applying genomics and phenotyping tools to unlock useful resistance traits. I enjoy working at the intersection of science and practice, collaborating with breeders, pathologists, and geneticists to support sustainable agriculture, both in the Nordic region and internationally.

Educational background:

2022: Associate Professor in Agricultural Science with a focus on Plant breeding, SLU, Sweden

2013:  PhD in Biology with a focus on plant protection biology, SLU, Sweden

2008:  Master of Science in Medicine Science, Lund University, Sweden

Ongoing projects that I lead or participate in:

Towards Winter Wheat and Oat Cultivars with Low Cadmium Uptake. The goal of this project is to identify genomic regions in winter wheat and oat associated with reduced Cd uptake, develop diagnostic markers for these regions and implement the marker use into the official VCU testing. The project is financed by SLU Grogrund. Project leader

CResWheat- Pre-breeding for Nordic climate resilient spring wheat. The main objective is to support the breeding of climate-resilient spring wheat by identifying genetic resources, genes and markers associated with disease resistance, drought tolerance and important adaptive traits for the Nordic region. A public-private partnership (PPP) funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and in-kind from project partners. X: @CResWheat. Project leader

The unsolved mysteries of common bunt: what is causing the increased incidence and how resistant is our wheat? The overall goal of this project is to understand why CB has increased dramatically in Swedish wheat production and to identify the best IPM strategies to control the disease. This project is financed by Stiftelsen lantbruksforskning. Project leader

"NorBalFoodSec", Future Food Security in the Nordic-Baltic Region: Merging Past, Present, and Future. The main objective of NorBalFoodSec is to generate actionable knowledge on future Nordic and Baltic climate relevant for adapting plant cultivars to the future climate of the region, with a focus on cereal (barley), forage (red clover) and tuber (potatoes) crops. This project is financed by Nordforsk. WP-leader

Back to the future, from landraces to high-yielding, heat and drought-tolerant barley preferred by East African farmers. The project aims to deliver high-yielding, climate change resilient, fit-for-purpose Ethiopian barley, meeting the
demands of both men and women farmers. This project is financed by Vetenskapsrådet. Project leader

Unlocking genetic variation for climate adaptation of crops. The main aim of the project is to assess the utility of environmental association methods to identify genetic variants for breeding climate resilient crops. For this purpose, we will identify and validate drought tolerance associated loci in two crop wild relatives: one of the wild progenitors of bread wheat: A. tauschii and the wild progenitor of flax: L. bienne. This project is financed by FORMAS. Participating researcher and assistant supervisor

Integrated control of frit flies for a sustainable cereal
production? The project aims to address these challenges by identifying resistant crops, optimising chemical control methods, and monitoring natural enemies such as parasitic wasps to support future biological control strategies. This project is funded by Stiftelsen Lantbruksforskning and Partnerskap Alnarp. Project leader

Ongoing supervision

2024-ongoing, Main Supervisor, PhD project. Student: Laurène Mailhan, "From Stench to Scent- Genetic strategies towards bunt-free organic wheat". Postgraduate student, Alnarp, SLU

2024-ongoing, Assistant supervisor, PhD project. Student: Risha Na, "Unlocking genetic variation for climate adaptation of crops." Postgraduate student, Stockholm University

Earlier supervision

2024-2025, Assistant supervisor, MSc Degree project. Student: Matilda Ericson, "Comparative genomics and population genomics of common bunt- indications of one common bunt species, geographical differentiation and multiple infection". 

2021- 2024, Assistant supervisor, PhD project. Student: Violet Akech, “Genetic improvement of East African diploid cooking bananas.”. Postgraduate student, Alnarp, SLU

2016-2022, Assistant supervisor, PhD project (Activity level- 50%). Student: Jonatan Leo, “Phylogenetic studies of Elymus s.s. L. (Poaceae) : plant systematics as a prerequisite for efficient conservation and utilization”. Postgraduate student, Alnarp, SLU

2021 Main Supervisor, MSc Degree project. Student: Hafiz Umar, "Genome-Wide Association Studies for Identification of Markers and Candidate Genes Associated with Leaf Rust and Powdery Mildew Resistance in Nordic Spring Barley".  Erasmus Mundus Master program in Plant Breeding (emPLANT)

2021  Main Supervisor, Double BSc Degree project. Student: Linnéa Gustavsson, "Genetic resistance against the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)". 

2019-2020 Main Supervisor, MSc Degree project. Student: Karl-Johan Fabó, "Screening of early root and shoot growth characteristics in seedlings of Nordic spring barley". 

2025

Shariatipour, N., Yazdani, M., Carlsson, A., Bengtsson, T., Kianian, S. F., Jalli, M., ... & PPP RobOat Consortium. (2025). Genetic dissection of crown rust resistance in oat and the identification of key adult plant resistance genes. The Plant Genome, 18(2), e70059.

Apuli, R. P., Adler, K., Barregård, L., Dixelius, C., Harari, F., Hofvander, P., ... & Bengtsson, T. (2025). Strategies for limiting dietary cadmium in cereals. Plant Science, 112535.

Akech, V., Bayo, S., Bengtsson, T., Ortiz, R., Swennen, R., Gezan, S., ... & Brown, A. (2025). Estimation of Seasonal, Additive and Non-additive Genetic Components in Diploid Banana (Musa spp.). VeriXiv, 2, 72.

2024

Akech, V., Bengtsson, T., Ortiz, R., Swennen, R., Uwimana, B., Ferreira, C. F., ... & Brown, A.  Genetic diversity and population structure in banana (Musa spp.) breeding germplasm. The Plant Genome, 17(3), e20497.

Maggioni, L., Bengtsson, T., Poulsen, G. B., & von Bothmer, R. Survey and genetic diversity of wild Brassica oleracea L. germplasm from the northern coast of Spain. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 1-23.

Leo, J., Bengtsson, T., Morales, A., Carlsson, A. S., & von Bothmer, R. Genetic structure analyses reveal multiple origins of Elymus sensu stricto (Poaceae). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 1-19.

Bengtsson, T., Berlin, A., Edin, E., Alamrani, M., Andersson, B., Henriksson, T. Kartläggning av virulensen hos vanlig stinksot i Sverige- pågående försök. Ekologisk försöksrapport 2023, Hushållningssällskapet.

2023

Bengtsson, T., Hamnér, K., Eriksson, J. Jordbruksåtgärder för att minska kadmium i grödor. Jordbruksverket. Rapport, 79.

2022

Leo, J., Bengtsson, T., Carlsson, A. S., Brassac, J., & von Bothmer, R. Population structure and phylogeography of Elymus mutabilis and its genetic relationships with E. transbaicalensis (Poaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany, e03520.

2021

Kushwaha, S. K., Åhman, I., & Bengtsson, T. ResCap: plant resistance gene prediction and probe generation pipeline for resistance gene sequence capture. Bioinformatics Advances, 1(1), vbab033.

Göransson, M., Sigurdardottir, T. H., Bengtsson, T., Lillemo, M., T. & Hallsson, J. H. The Winter-Type Allele of HvCEN Is Associated With Earliness Without Severe Yield Penalty in Icelandic Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Frontiers in Plant Science, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.720238

Hautsalo, J., Novakazi, F., Jalli, M., Göransson, M., Manninen, O., Isolahti, M., Reitan, L., Bergersen, S., Krusell, L., Damsgård Robertsen, C., Orabi,J., Due Jensen, J., Jahoor, A., Bengtsson, T & the PPP Barley Consortium. Pyramiding of scald resistance genes in four spring barley MAGIC populations. Theor Appl Genet (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-021-03930-y

Göransson, M., Hallsson, J. H., Bengtsson, T., Bjørnstad, Å., & Lillemo, M. Specific adaptation for early maturity and height stability in icelandic spring barley. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20459

2020

Novakazi, F., Krusell, L., Jensen, J. D., Orabi, J., Jahoor, A., Bengtsson, T., & PPP Barley Consortium. (2020). You Had Me at “MAGIC”!: Four Barley MAGIC Populations Reveal Novel Resistance QTL for Powdery Mildew. Genes, 11(12), 1512.

S Kim, T Bengtsson, N Olsson, V Hot, LH Zhu, I Åhman. Mutations in Two Aphid-Regulated β-1,3-Glucanase Genes by CRISPR/Cas9 Do Not Increase Barley Resistance to Rhopalosiphum padi L. Frontiers in Plant Science, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.01043.

2019

M Göransson, J Hallsteinn Hallsson, M Lillemo, J Orabi, G Backes, A Jahoor, J Hermansson, T Christerson, S Tuvesson, B Gertsson, L Reitan, M Alsheikh, R Aikasalo, M Veteläinen, M Jalli, L Krusell, R Hjortshøj, B Eriksen & T Bengtsson. Identification of ideal allele combinations for the adaptation of spring barley to Northern latitudes. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 542.

I Åhman & T Bengtsson. Introgression of resistance to Rhopalosiphum padi L. from wild barley into cultivated barley facilitated by doubled haploid and molecular marker techniques. Theoretical and Applied Genetics: 1-12.

2017

T Bengtsson, I Åhman, O Manninen, L Reitan, T Christerson,  J Due Jensen, L Krusell, A Jahoor & J Orabi. A Novel QTL for Powdery Mildew Resistance in Nordic Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare) Revealed by Genome-Wide Association Study. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, 1954.

T Bengtsson, The PPP Barley Consortium, O Manninen, A Jahoor, J Orabi. Genetic diversity, population structure and linkage disequilibrium in Nordic spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution doi:10.1007/s10722-017-0493-5.

2015

A Chawade, E Alexandersson, T Bengtsson, E Andreasson, F Levander. A targeted proteomics approach for precision plant breeding. Journal of proteome research.

T Bengtsson, A Holefors, E Liljeroth, M Hultberg, E Andreasson. Biosurfactants Have the Potential to Induce Defence Against Phytophthora infestans in Potato. Potato Research 58 (1), 83-90. 

2014

Proteomics and transcriptomics of the BABA-induced resistance response in potato using a novel functional annotation approach. T Bengtsson, D Weighill, E Proux-Wéra, F Levander, S Resjö, DD Burra, ... BMC genomics 15 (1). 

T Bengtsson, A Holefors, J Witzell, E Andreasson, E Liljeroth. Activation of defence responses to Phytophthora infestans in potato by BABA.Plant Pathology 63 (1), 193-202. 

2013

T Bengtsson. Boosting potato defence against late blight. Diss. (sammanfattning/summary) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., Acta Universitatis agriculturae Sueciae, 1652-6880 ; 2013:58.2011

2025–present Member of the Steering Committee, Swedish Seed Association

2025–present Member of the Steering Committee, Swedish Society for Plant Pathology

2025–present Member of the Steering Committee, SLU Future Food

2025- present   Editor at the journal Euphytica

2023-2027        Plant2Food Specialist Reviewer- Open Innovation in Science platform funded by The Novo Nordisk Foundation

2022-present    Deputy program director of SLU Grogrund. A Centre for Breeding of Food Crops.

2019-present    Member of the Cereal working group at the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen)