Doctoral thesis on the future of wheat – strategies for how plant breeding can contribute to higher wheat yields with less fertilizer

Lorena Guardia Velarde's research shows that specific combinations of plant traits that contribute to nitrogen efficiency should be considered in the plant breeding of spring wheat, in order to promote more sustainable agriculture.

Nitrogen efficiency refers to how well the crop can take up and utilize nitrogen for plant growth and yield.

From Peru to Uppsala

Lorena comes from Lima, Peru. After completing her bachelor's degree in her hometown, she continued with a master's degree at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Before starting her PhD, she worked at the International Potato Center in Peru and at the plant breeding companies Monsanto and Bayer.

"I studied plant biotechnology in an agricultural context before coming here, but during my PhD studies, I’ve shifted from a narrower focus on plant genes to a broader perspective. I’ve moved from the lab to the field, learned more about ecology, and gained a better understanding of how plants function in their environment from a holistic perspective," she explains.

Lorena began her PhD studies at the Department of Crop Production Ecology at SLU in Uppsala in the pandemic year of 2020. Starting her doctoral studies in the midst of such a crisis was a challenge – fieldwork in Säby was postponed for a whole year, and the scale of the field trials had to be reduced, resulting in fewer plants to work with than planned.

"As a PhD student, you learn that research has its highs, when everything goes well, and its lows, when things don’t go as planned. But thanks to the collaboration in our research group, what went well became even better, and the setbacks didn’t feel as bad," says Lorena Guardia Velarde.

What are your future plans?

"I could see myself either continuing research in academia or working at a company. I have developed a soft spot for the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany but where we end up will depend on where my husband and I can both find something interesting to work with," says Lorena.

"Zero Hunger" is the global sustainability goal that is closest to her heart – the mission to eliminate hunger and malnutrition and promote food security for everyone.