Cultivating Tomorrow’s Wheat Scientists

Montana is a significant contributor to the nation’s hard red spring wheat production, varieties of which are renowned for their high-protein content. This makes Montana spring wheat a popular choice for bakers who want to create high-quality breads with good structure and flavor. Montana State University’s Spring Wheat Breeding Program serves local wheat producers with research to improve grain yield and quality and resistance to pests.  By tackling these challenges, our work benefits all wheat communities, contributing to global food security.

The goal of my project as a FFAR Fellow in the wheat breeding program is to verify genetic components that influence the number of grains per wheat head and pinpoint the genes that determine these, potentially increasing grain yield for wheat producers. We are testing two variants of a genetic region (alleles): one associated with high grain number, the other with low grain number. The data collection process requires measuring a wide range of plant characteristics, such as height, leaf area and grain number. These traits are necessary for evaluating the performance of breeding lines and understanding the complex trade-off between different traits in plants, factors important for developing high-yielding varieties. However, measuring numerous traits is labor-intensive and time-consuming, particularly when dealing with a large number of plants.

When I started my PhD in summer 2022, our breeding program faced a significant challenge: a shortage of field assistants. We had to prioritize our field work, and one of the traits—productive tiller number, number of stems that produce grain-bearing wheat heads—got dropped from my research for that year.

Tillers are like the branches of a tree. More productive tillers generally lead to higher grain yield.

This trait has become the key focus in my research but was initially overlooked due to a lack of help. Fortunately, our program grew with more people in the following years, and we had dedicated students to assisted in various tasks.

To be honest, most of the work that we needed help with in the breeding program was not the most groundbreaking or exciting, but was crucially necessary for the project’s success. For example, weeding in fields, cleaning seeds, threshing wheat heads and washing pots. An unexpected but critical challenge for our research became this: If scientific research requires many tedious and repetitive tasks like these, how can we ensure that undergraduate researchers remain engaged and motivated in our lab?

There were three things I found to be very effective to build student engagement. First, I learned from my advisor that providing a variety of research experiences can help students develop a broader skill set. For my project, I needed help counting the grain number per wheat head for at least 3000 heads. I tried to avoid assigning undergraduate students to only to that one task, because people would quickly lose interest and would be more likely to quit working for us. I involved students in a range of tasks in the greenhouse and lab. For example, they helped me fill pots and plant greenhouse trials. I trained them to extract plant DNA, complete data entry, and analyze data using the statistical software. The approach of varying students’ work and training may take more time, but it kept students curious to learn new skills and gain a better understanding of the research process.

Two other approaches to build engagement are those I learned from the mentoring training which is part of the FFAR Fellows Program. First is the significance of mentorship agreements. At the beginning of the semester, I met with my undergraduate mentees to set clear expectations for their responsibilities and to design independent research projects that aligned with their interests. Secondly, I became intentional about creating a welcoming environment. When I was new in the lab, I was afraid to ask questions and made mistakes. To combat this with the undergraduates, I emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes and encouraged open communication. I would invite them to have coffee to get to know them personally. For students who couldn’t go home during the school breaks and who dedicated extra time to their work in our lab, I would cook meals to show my support and appreciation. Through one-on-one meetings, I gained insight into students’ interests and concerns. They shared their academic and professional goals and sought my guidance. These interactions were both personally and professionally gratifying to me. I learned the value of investing in undergraduate researchers to ensure the continued advancement of agricultural research.

### Acknowledgments ###

While the demanding nature of field work can be physically and mentally stressful, I have gained a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of various tasks within the breeding program. I am grateful for the dedication of everyone on the team. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellows Program for their generous support. This fellowship has provided me with invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth, helping me to identify my strengths and weaknesses, and enhancing my project management, science communication and effective leadership skills. I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions to our collaborators from the Wheat Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) for making our research possible by providing funding and essential technical training. I extend my sincere appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Jason Cook for fostering a positive learning environment for next generation scientists. His collaborative spirit and commitment to solving agricultural challenges with farmers and researchers has been truly inspiring. I am also deeply thankful to my mentors Dr. Gretchen Kroh, Dr. Marianela Rodriguez, Dr. Kelsey Whiting, and Dr. Rima Thapa for their guidance and encouragement throughout my graduate studies and professional development.