Our Farm
Advancements in both phenotyping and genotyping now play an important role in improving the sustainability of farm operations because we are able to match the right genetics for certain cropping variables and conditions making the best use of the land, inputs, and agricultural practices.
We Have One Goal
Breeding Over Time:
Common Foods
Most of the fruits, vegetables, and grains that we eat today are the result of generations of plant breeding. In fact, some of the most popular fruits and vegetables originated from plants that would be almost unidentifiable now.
Carrots
Originally, carrots were yellow and purple. In the 1600s, humans began breeding them to be white and orange, and then in the 1700s, they were bred to be red. Purple carrots are still grown in Europe and Asia, and red carrots are grown in China and India.
Watermelons
About 5,000 years ago, watermelons were only two inches in diameter and had a bitter taste, vastly different from the large, sweet-tasting fruit we enjoy today.
Bananas
About 6,500 years ago, humans started breeding Musa acuminate, the ancestor of the modern-day banana. Musa acuminate was then crossed with Musa balbisiana to produce plantains, a close cousin of the banana. Learn more about the modern banana, Fusarium Tropical Race 4 – the fungus currently threating bananas, and how plant breeding is trying save them at The History of the Modern Banana.
Corn
About 10,000 years ago, humans discovered Teosinte, which was a plant with small, thin “cobs” only 5-8 centimeters (2-3 inches) long with kernels so hard they would crack your teeth. Over thousands of years of selection, Teosinte was adapted to produce the 30-centimeter (12-inch) ears commonly grown today.
Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Kale
These common vegetables descended from the common Wild Mustard plant about 10,000 years ago.
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