Plant breeding is one of agriculture’s most potent methods to influence crop management and quality. Improving cultivars can mitigate stressors, adapt to regional demands and shape a commodity’s end use.
Wheat covers over 460,000 acres of farmland in North Carolina, with a farm gate value exceeding $100 million. It plays a crucial role in supporting the food animal industry, as well as in business risk mitigation and crop rotation. Beyond its traditional uses, emerging opportunities could unlock new potential for this age-old crop.
Nonoy Bandillo joined NC State University in 2024 as our new small grains breeder. He’s bringing a new energy and lab full of technology to bear on a host of possibilities for wheat and other small grains — from animal fodder to auto fenders.
What interested you in agriculture?
I draw much inspiration for my work from my upbringing on a rice farm in the Philippines. Growing up, I witnessed the challenges farmers faced, such as unreliable yields due to diseases and extreme weather conditions.
This background fuels my desire to develop cultivars that not only yield well but are resilient to environmental stresses and diseases. Seeing how seed technology can transform a farmer’s prospects firsthand has always driven me to ensure my research has real-world applications.
How did you get started in plant breeding?
I completed my bachelor’s degree in plant breeding at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. This university is close to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the largest global rice research and breeding program. I did my undergraduate internship at IRRI and worked there for five years after graduation.
My early exposure to advanced breeding programs at IRRI sparked my passion for agriculture, particularly the application of plant breeding to crop improvement.
Agriculture, energy, food, and fiber are cornerstones of human survival, and plant breeding plays a critical role in enhancing food security.
Rice was the first small grain crop I worked with, and it provided a unique opportunity to explore the intricacies of plant breeding. Like wheat, rice is a self-pollinated crop, meaning that both species undergo similar processes in hybridization. This shared characteristic makes the study of their genetic traits and breeding practices quite comparable.
How has your research shaped your career path?
At IRRI, I worked on a project called “MAGIC,” which stands for multi-parent advanced generation intercross. This project involved breeding 16 parental lines to combine traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, high yield and high seed quality. Unlike traditional breeding, which often involves crossing just two parent plants, the “MAGIC” project was designed to create genetic diversity and increase the chances of recombination.
This approach provided valuable insights into how different traits could be combined despite the challenges of opposing traits, such as the inverse relationship between protein content and yield. The outcomes of this research were significant enough to contribute new germplasm to global breeding programs, reinforcing the public nature of IRRI’s work to benefit global agriculture.
After completing my work at IRRI, I pursued further education and research opportunities in the United States. I earned my Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics at the University of Nebraska, where I focused on genomic selection—a technology gaining momentum.
Following my doctorate, I moved to Cornell University for postdoctoral work to further enhance my quantitative genetics skills applied to plant breeding and learn more about cutting-edge genomics technologies. I worked on improving breeding techniques and implementing new genomic tools, which were critical in advancing my expertise and preparing me for more independent research roles.
Before joining NC State, I spent over five years at North Dakota State University, directing a pulse crop breeding program. Our team focused on developing and releasing new cultivars of pea, chickpea, and lentil specifically suited for the Northern Plains region. Under my leadership, we successfully released four new cultivars. This experience marked my first significant role in managing an applied breeding program, allowing me to gain invaluable hands-on knowledge in crop improvement and team leadership.
Why did you choose to join NC State?
One of the key reasons I joined NC State was its longstanding legacy in plant breeding and quantitative genetics. The university’s reputation, coupled with the innovative N.C. Plant Science’s Initiative and a more conducive climate for small grains research, was highly attractive.
Additionally, North Carolina’s diverse soil and climate conditions presented an exciting challenge for developing new grain cultivars tailored to such environments.
You’re taking the reins of a well-established small grains breeding program. What’s your strategy?
I am excited to continue Paul Murphy’s legacy of excellence in small grains breeding and to ensure that NorthCarolina farmers have access to superior cultivars.
My approach has been to start by listening to our stakeholders — to understand their requirements for high-yielding, disease-resistant crops adapted to North Carolina’s varied topography and climate.
I quickly learned that farmers in the region face issues like uneven terrain and unpredictable weather, which make wheat and other small grain cultivation particularly vulnerable to diseases and stresses such as drought and waterlogging. Understanding these challenges has been essential in developing strategies to help growers mitigate these risks and improve crop resilience.
My primary research focus will be integrating disease resistance with high-yield and quality traits to create adaptable small grain cultivars that suit North Carolina’s changing environments.
Your predecessor, Paul Murphy, left quite a genetic library. How will you make the best use of it?
I am leveraging advanced technologies, such as genomic selection, gene-editing, high-throughput phenotyping, and speed breeding, to accelerate the development process.
These tools allow me to evaluate tens of thousands of plant lines efficiently and pinpoint desirable traits for breeding. By applying these modern techniques, I aim to reduce the typical 10-to-12-year breeding cycle and introduce improved cultivars faster.
Ultimately, I aim to make global contributions to food security by enhancing the resilience and productivity of small grains, ensuring that even small genetic gains can have worldwide impacts.
Technology is clearly a priority. What tools will you use, and what impact could they have?
With the capability to assess around 30,000 lines per season, drones make it possible to measure traits such as plant height, maturity, and disease presence efficiently, saving months of manual labor. My goal is to develop a system where these technologies can predict yields and biomass based on drone data, which would be transformative for the field.
To complement field trials, I’m also employing a technique called speed breeding. This method, conducted in greenhouses, helps compress the breeding cycle from the typical 10 years to potentially as short as one year for the early generational stages (F2 to F5).
By combining speed breeding with genomic selection and drone assessments, I am creating a comprehensive, expedited approach to identifying and advancing promising lines. This integrated strategy allows me to quickly discard less promising plants, saving time and resources by focusing only on those with the highest potential for success.
What new opportunities do you foresee for small grains?
My primary focus is improving cultivars adapted for NC growers. But there’s value in expanding the market for small grains beyond traditional uses.
In NC, wheat is primarily used as a key component in feed for food animals, and a significant portion of the breeding program is dedicated to addressing the needs of the livestock industry.
By diversifying the applications of small grains, we could open new markets and stabilize demand.
There is great potential in adapting wheat’s nutritional profile for human consumption, too, tapping into the rising trend of plant-based and specialty foods.
By diversifying the applications of small grains, we could open new markets and stabilize demand, particularly as wheat acreage continues to decline. My previous work with pulse crops (pea, chickpea, and lentil), which are valued for their protein and amino acid profile, informs my approach to enhancing wheat’s nutritional profile.
Are there other potential uses for small grains?
Long term, the possibilities extend even further with innovative uses for crops in non-food industries, such as automotive components.
For example, luxury car manufacturers are exploring the use of bio-based materials from grains in car parts, an application that aligns with trends toward sustainability and reducing dependence on less environmentally friendly resources.
By integrating traditional breeding goals with these forward-thinking strategies, my goal is to contribute to an adaptable, future-oriented approach to plant breeding that meets both current and emerging global challenges.
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