Sheridan College to Host Lecture on the History and Science of Plant Breeding

Dr. Donna Harris, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Wyoming, will give a lecture titled “A Passion for the Seed: The History and Science of Plant Breeding” on Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. as part of the 2023 Museum of Discovery Science Lecture series. The lecture will be in-person inside the Mars Ag Center (MAC), room 201, and via Zoom webinar. To attend online, go to www.sheridan.edu/lecture at the time of the event. This event is free and open to the public.  Prior to the lecture, there will be an opportunity to learn from Sheridan College students about their undergraduate research projects from 6-7 p.m. The institution encourages the community to come early on the evening of May 3 to view students’ research posters on display inside MAC 201 and ask students questions about their work!

During her lecture, Harris will discuss the origin process of domesticating wild species of plants for easier cultivation in ancient times. Next, the presentation will indicate characteristics needed for improving plants for human use and how they must be clearly defined into breeding objectives. Once objectives are defined, Harris will describe how a plant breeder can create a large population of plant materials that are genetically different from each other and begin to identify which plants best meet the breeding objectives. She will then outline how these new, improved varieties are marketed and distributed to growers. Current research in Harris’ lab focuses on early maturing dry beans that maintain yield and upright stature, drought-tolerant field peas, and native grasses used for restoration purposes on rangelands. 

Dr. Harris is an Assistant Professor in UW’s Department of Plant Sciences. Harris is located at the Sheridan Research & Extension Center in Sheridan, WY. Her current research focuses on plant breeding and genetics; she is studying several relevant crops to Wyoming, focusing on the consumer and producer’s current and potential needs. Before her position at UW, Donna worked as a Senior Scientist in tomato pre-breeding at BASF Vegetable Seeds in Acampo, CA. Harris earned her Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia.  For more information about this or upcoming lectures, contact Dr. Scott Newbold at snewbold@sheridan.edu or (307)-675-0770.