Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease threatening global wheat production and food safety. In collaboration with scientists from USDA-ARS and North Dakota State University, we helped develop and analyze a modified nested association mapping population combining synthetic hexaploid wheat and elite spring wheat lines. Multi-environment disease evaluations and genome-wide association analyses identified 19 genomic regions associated with FHB resistance, including three potentially novel loci.

How can agriculture directly improve public health? In collaboration with researchers from University of Nebraska–Lincoln, CIMMYT, Rothamsted Research, and multiple international partners, we contributed to a perspective proposing a new paradigm linking crop breeding, food systems, and health outcomes. The work highlights how improving dietary fiber levels in staple crops such as wheat could reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer at the population scale.

Cassava bacterial blight is a major constraint on cassava productivity worldwide. Collaborating with researchers from Hainan University and the National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, we identified stable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of cassava responses to infection by Xanthomonas phaseoli. Two genes, MehnRNPR and MePRPF38B, demonstrated superior expression stability across resistant and susceptible varieties.

Stem rust, including the highly virulent Ug99 race group, remains a major threat to global wheat production. In collaboration with researchers from the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory, Kansas State University, and international wheat genetics teams, we identified a novel resistance gene, Sr68, derived from the wild relative Thinopyrum junceum. Using cytogenetic and molecular approaches, the gene was introgressed into wheat chromosome arm 1BS.

Stripe rust remains one of the most destructive diseases affecting global wheat production. In collaboration with scientists the USDA-ARS Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research Unit, our team introgressed the adult plant resistance gene Yr78 into durum wheat and evaluated its effect on stripe rust resistance. Field trials demonstrated that combining Yr78 with Yr36 significantly enhanced resistance, while additional stacking with seedling resistance genes Yr5 and Yr15 created a powerful multi-gene resistance package.

Whiteflies are major pests threatening cassava production worldwide. Collaborating with scientists from CIAT, ICARDA, and EMBL-EBI, weidentified quantitative trait loci controlling resistance to the whitefly Aleurotrachelus socialis. A major QTL on chromosome 8 explained over 35% of phenotypic variation, and associated SNP markers were validated across diverse cassava germplasm. These markers enable efficient marker-assisted selection of insect-resistant varieties.

Understanding genetic diversity across cassava cultivars and wild relatives is essential for future crop improvement. Collaborating with researchers from Hainan University, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, CIAT, UC Davis, EMBRAPA Brazil, and multiple genomic research institutes, we constructed a cassava pan-genome and haplotype map representing hundreds of accessions.

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting cassava production worldwide. In collaboration with researchers from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), the Vietnamese Agricultural Genetics Institute, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, and CIAT, we developed DNA markers targeting mutations associated with the CMD2 resistance locus. These markers enable efficient identification of resistant plants in breeding populations.

Post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) severely limits cassava shelf life and market value. We developed a deep-learning pipeline using YOLO foundation models and image segmentation tools to automatically detect and quantify PPD symptoms from simple RGB images. The system achieved over 80% detection accuracy, enabling rapid and scalable phenotyping compared with traditional manual scoring.

Over the past decade, cassava breeding programs have achieved significant improvements in nutritional quality while maintaining agronomic performance. This study analyzed multilocation breeding trials conducted between 2013 and 2022 to quantify realized genetic gains in biofortified cassava. The results revealed annual improvements of 7.03% in β-carotene content and 4.15% in root yield, demonstrating the success of sustained breeding investments.