Welcome to the UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy

The University of California, Davis PLANT BREEDING ACADEMY is a premium professional development program designed to develop and enhance the skills of industry personnel around the world to enable them to become independent plant breeders or to contribute to larger breeding programs.

OCTOBER 2019 - JUNE 2021

Applications now being accepted!

The sixth class will begin in early October 2019.

For course details click here.

APPLY HERE

News and Updates

UC Davis European Plant Breeding AcademySM graduates fifth class

UC Davis European PBA graduates fifth class
The fifth class of the UC Davis European Plant Breeding Academy (PBA) graduated in late June with a final session in Davis, California. Six 6-day sessions were held over the last two years in the following locations: Enkhuizen, The Netherlands; Angers, France; Gatersleben, Germany; Gent, Belgium; Almeria, Spain; and UC Davis. Twenty participants spent more than 300 hours in classes, workshops and the field working towards completion of this premier training program. Seventeen classes offered worldwide since 2006 were attended by 333 breeders from 66 countries, making the UC Davis PBA the most recognized program of its kind. Congratulations Europe Class V!

Allen Van Deynze Receives Excellence in Research Award

Congratulations to our own Allen Van Deynze, director of research at the SBC and associate director of the Plant Breeding Center at UC Davis. He was awarded the UC Davis Academic Federation's 2019 Excellence in Research Award at a ceremony held this past week on campus. He has conducted groundbreaking research in Mexico and in Africa and has received more than $12 million in research funding since 2012. Way to go Allen! Read more

UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center partnership with African Orphan Crop Consortium prepare underutilized crops for success

The UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center’s Plant Breeding Academy aims to train 150 breeders, connecting them to research resources and funding while empowering them to apply their knowledge to their traditional crops and communities. Read more.

PBA Alumni Create Professional Association for Plant Breeders in Africa

Alumni from our African Plant Breeding Academy have established the African Plant Breeders Association. This professional association will provide a collaborative space for breeders on the continent. The inaugural meeting, where the executive committee will be elected, is in late October 2019.

PBA Student Passes Away in Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash

Our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and cohort of African PBA Class IV student Dr. Kojo Galto. Dr. Galto, an assistant professor at the University of Lomé in Togo, was traveling to a workshop at Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA-ILRI). He was a talented plant breeder and will sorely be missed. Read article.

Plant Breeding Academy Addresses Global Food Needs

UC Davis' Department of Plant Sciences shares how PBA is changing the global food supply one scientist at a time. Read article.

PBA Alumna Awarded 2018 Most Influential Scientist

African PBA (AfPBA) Class III alumna, Dorcas Ibitoye recently won the 2018 Most Influential Scientist Award at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) in Nigeria. Upon receiving the award, Dorcas accredited African PBA to her success, "AfPBA/AOCC have impacted and invested so much in me that I can't keep it to myself. I always look for way to also influence and impact others."