In the first of a three-part episode about East African seed systems, Dr Richard Jones explores some of the challenges of seed distribution in Africa and shares how support from local governments and private sector seed companies can accelerate the adoption of agricultural technologies.

Dr Paul Matthews and Dr Katherine Easterling, scientists with Hopsteiner, a global hops supplier, discuss some of the unique challenges of breeding a dioecious crop with a long generation time and unpredictable genetic inheritance patterns. The Hopsteiner scientists also share some of the biomedical properties of hops and how they support the conservation of wild hops species.

Dr Mei-Lie Tan, the managing director and owner of Crea Nova Consultancy, discusses her path from plant research scientist to business development manager to business owner. She shares how diversity in her studies, teams and projects has sparked creativity and innovation along her life journey.

Dr Dave Bubeck, research director for Corteva Agriscience and president of the National Association of Plant Breeders, shares how his career in corn plant breeding has evolved with the adoption of new genomic technologies and the merger of agriculture companies. He explains how public perception can often trump science and why it’s critical to advocate for technology.

Tress Walmsley, CEO of the Western Australian company Intergrain Australia, introduces the End Point Royalty system of recovering plant breeding costs, a mechanism that supports improved plant genetics in the country. She also shares how Intergrain uses technology to innovate their breeding programs and explains what it takes to produce the perfect Udon noodle.

Dr Hussein Haji, CEO of Filson Somalia and Exec Director of Somali Agriculture Technical Group, shares incredible stories of rebuilding the agricultural infrastructure in Somalia after years of civil unrest. He discusses how his experiences set him up for success in his home country and why tissue culture could be the key to reviving the collapsed banana industry in Somalia.

Dr Mike Jackson explores the fascinating world of genetic resource management. He explains why maintaining a diverse pool of genetic resources is critical for modern breeding programs and shares the challenges to curate rich gene banks for the International Potato Centre and International Rice Research Institute.

Dr Rita Mumm’s fascinating career includes rich experience across both private and public sectors. She shares what it was like to work on the first biotech traits in corn at DeKalb, discusses why she took on the challenge of recruiting the next generation of plant breeders and why improving orphan crops is central to establishing nutritional security in Africa.

Dr Lee Hickey, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, discusses combining cutting edge technologies to accelerate genetic gain. He also shares how his passion for scientific communication and collaboration help him overcome the obstacles and scepticism that often come with introducing new ideas.

Malaysia based Wong Choo Kien of Applied Agricultural Resources discusses the importance of oil palm to him, his company and his country. As Head of the Crop Improvement Division, he explores the history and the future for this “magical crop”.