By Brandon Hopper
By combining artificial intelligence, advanced genetics and computer simulations, NC State University doctoral student Kashish Grover is giving plant breeders back their most precious commodity: time.
In the Department of Horticultural Science, working alongside faculty advisor Roberto Fritsche-Neto, an associate professor of horticulture and principal investigator for the Vegetable Prediction Breeding Lab, Grover develops high-tech tools designed to streamline the way new, climate-resilient crop varieties reach growers. His projects range from automated camera systems that evaluate cucumbers in seconds to predictive computer models.
Traditional plant breeding relies on labor-intensive field trials and manual evaluations that can span over a decade. Grover’s research blends conventional breeding knowledge with genomic selection, computer vision and digital simulations, allowing scientists to test breeding strategies virtually before ever planting a seed.
“The challenge I care most about is time,” says Grover, who earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and master’s degree in plant breeding and genetics from Punjab Agricultural University in India. “Developing a new variety takes years, much of it spent measuring plants by hand and testing ideas one season at a time. A changing climate adds another layer, because the places we test today may not reflect where crops will grow tomorrow. My projects try to give breeders some of that time back.”
Source : ncsu.edu