Synopsis

Dr Julia Sibiya, Associate Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, is experimenting with new tools to improve traits of interest in sorghum and maize crops.

In this episode of the Plant Breeding Stories podcast, Julia explains why she chose to work with plants over animals and describes the career path that led her to a professorship in South Africa. She gives an overview of her current research, including breeding sorghum varieties for biofuel production and enhancing grain sorghum’s productivity and nutritional quality. Julia discusses how collaboration among regional and international plant breeding associations is important to help deliver innovative solutions for global food security and climate change challenges. We also learn how she’s helping the next generation of scientists prepare for the vast career opportunities available in agriculture.