How Dr. Marcio Resende exemplifies the Eminent Scholar Chair

This spring, Dr. Resende was named the new Lyle C. Dickson Chair in Plant Breeding, a prestigious appointment that recognizes not just a remarkable research career, but a deep commitment to growers, students, and innovation. Eminent Scholar Chairs highlight outstanding research and help boost further initiatives across campuses.

Dr. Marcio Resende is an associate professor at the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department and currently leads the Sweet Corn and Potato Genomics and Breeding lab, focused on improving crop resilience, enhancing nutritional quality, and increasing yield potential, critical for addressing global food security challenges. For the next five years, he will serve as chair of Plant Improvement. “I am honored and humbled to have been chosen,” Dr. Resende said. “I am grateful to the Dickman family and the Dickman Educational Foundation for the support of plant breeding, and I look forward to continuing our efforts in variety development, plant breeding research, and student training.”

Dr. Resende leads UF’s sweet corn and potato breeding programs with a clear-eyed mission: to develop high-performing varieties tailored to Florida’s unique growing conditions. His lab is divided into two major efforts: the operational breeding program, which maintains the annual cycle of producing and testing varieties, and several research projects that explore traits like insect resistance, disease tolerance, and vegetable quality. But breeding is a long-term process. Developing a new variety can take a decade or more from concept to field. Dr. Resende says this new support will provide important stability for his team and help explore early ideas that could eventually lead to impactful discoveries.

Sweet Corn and Potato Breeding for Florida’s Future

Florida might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of corn, but as Dr. Resende will tell you, the Sunshine State leads the nation in fresh market sweet corn production. “We harvest from October to June, times when very few places in the country can produce corn,” he says. “That unique production window makes Florida very competitive.”

His program focuses on grower’s challenges like insect resistance and corn diseases that occur routinely in South Florida fields. Most of the team’s field trials are based in Palm Beach County, the heart of Florida’s sweet corn country.

Rows of sweet corn growing at UF/IFAS research fields

One of Dr. Resende’s most groundbreaking achievements came in 2022, when his team published the first genome sequence of sweet corn, a major milestone in vegetable genetics. Beyond sequencing, his lab is well-known for applying genomic prediction and artificial intelligence to make breeding more precise and efficient. By using DNA to predict which plants will perform best, even before they’re grown in the field, his team can speed up the selection process and reduce guesswork. “If you’re able to look at the plant’s DNA and predict which ones are resistant before going to the field, you can accelerate the breeding process by starting crosses earlier,” he explains. Dr. Resende’s capitalizes on his foundation in industry to help shape his research choices. Reflecting on this, he explains, “The breeding and variety development component was, to me, the aspect that would ensure this program wouldn’t be an ivory tower, away from the growers. Breeding is very much about interacting with stakeholders because we’re trying to develop a product that will benefit them” His lab is built on this idea—the routine, year-round breeding work focused on developing sweet corn and potato varieties. He acknowledges that operational breeding can be difficult to fund, as many grants are geared toward specific traits, but he emphasizes the broader benefits of this approach: more holistic training for graduate students and better, more consistent access to research materials.

green potato plant shows tags marking the variety with small white flowers blooming at the top; the plants are inside a gray low lit greenhouse — A potato plant in bloom at one of Dr. Resende and Dr. Zotarelli’s research greenhouses, essential for developing improved varieties.

Potato breeding is also a key focus. Dr. Resende leads a growing potato breeding program alongside Dr. Lincoln Zotarelli, a fellow Associate Professor at the Horticultural Sciences Department and Dr. Leo Hoffmann, Associate Scientist at the Horticultural Sciences Department. The trials are based primarily at the UF/IFAS Hastings Agricultural Extension Center, the state’s historic potato growing region. Like the corn program, it relies heavily on collaboration with Florida growers. Most of the trials take place at Hastings, but growers regularly visit the fields to evaluate potential varieties and provide feedback. Dr. Resende and his team also visit growers on-site to better understand their needs and tailor breeding efforts accordingly. Although the program is still relatively young, launched about four years ago, early progress is promising. Commercial variety release is expected within the next seven to ten years.

Dr. Leo Hoffmann speaks to a group of men standing against the interior wall of a greenhouse growing various potato plants. — Dr. Leo Hoffman, Associate Scientist in the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, leads Farm Bureau stakeholders on a tour of the potato breeding lab.

Commitment to the Next Generation of Plant Scientists

Dr. Resende brings a humble, collaborative mindset to his research, which opens the door to innovation. “I think the way I view plant breeding is that it brings together a variety of fields: biology, genetics, pathology, entomology… And I don’t have all that expertise. I need to collaborate with others.” His approach to applying AI to predict the genetics of traits has applications far beyond corn and potatoes. Even in describing day-to-day lab life, he captures this spirit: “Every day is different and putting everyone’s minds together to develop something—we enjoy that.”

Dr. Resende inspects corn growing in his greenhouse with a smile. — Dr. Marcio Resende checks on sweet corn trials in the greenhouse, where genomic tools drive crop improvement.

Perhaps most notably, Dr. Resende is driven by a passion for education and mentorship. “When I left industry to come to UF, it was because of the opportunity to train students and work with growers,” he says. He’s mentored more than a dozen graduate students already, giving them hands-on training in both science and practical breeding. His efforts consistently highlight the value of training and real-world experience, whether in the field as a breeder or in the lab as a researcher.

Reflecting on his role at UF, he says, “I think UF has the number one Plant Breeding program in the country, in my opinion. We’re in a position to train a lot of the incoming talent who will become the next generation of breeders. That’s really what motivates me…Plant breeding really connects the three pillars: there’s always an extension component because you’re working with growers, the team often includes students, and research drives the development forward.”

Dr. Resende also serves as the IFAS Entrepreneur in Residence, where he advises faculty on launching and maintaining businesses. His mentorship philosophy spans the entire academic and professional journey. There is much more that could be said about his career and accomplishments, but one thing is clear: Dr. Resende continues to earn the recognition he receives and stands as a model for excellence at the University of Florida.