In a recent interview with Seed World, Dr. Rex Bernardo, recipient of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Plant Breeders, offered a powerful reminder:
“Seed banks are not seed morgues.”
More than a striking phrase, this reflects a fundamental concern in modern breeding: while genetic diversity is preserved in global gene banks, it emains largely underutilized. Meanwhile, breeders are increasingly constrained by narrow genetic pools and rising environmental pressures.
Dr. Bernardo has been a consistent advocate for leveraging exotic germplasm-wild relatives, landraces, and overlooked accessions-as critical resources for addressing key breeding objectives, from disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance to improved nutrition. His work is distinguished by both scientific rigor and an exceptional ability to communicate complex challenges in a way that motivates action.
Why It Matters to Us at Phenome Networks
Dr. Bernardo’s vision resonates strongly with our mission.
Integrating exotic materials into breeding pipelines is both promising and complex. It introduces unpredictable inheritance patterns, longer and more intricate pedigrees, and requires careful coordination of multi-environment trials and historical data interpretation.
PhenomeOne, our breeding data management platform, was designed to meet exactly these challenges. Whether supporting national maize improvement programs, academic research institutions, or private vegetable breeding companies, our goal is consistent: to make genetic diversity not only accessible, but actionable and impactful.
Across our global user community, we see Bernardo’s philosophy brought to life. From programs revitalizing neglected crops to those tailoring breeding strategies to local cultures and climates, our partners are pushing boundaries. They are not just preserving diversity, they are using it to drive innovation, ensure food security, and support sustainable agriculture.
Together, we are helping shape the future of plant breeding.
Read the full interview in Seed World Magazine
