This presentation was recorded at the Field Advisor Forum on January 16, 2025 in Champaign, IL.

Moderator: Jennifer Jones, CCA, Illinois Soybean Association

Panelists: Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, Assistant Professor and Small Grains Breeder, UIUC; Dr. Eliana Monteverde, Assistant Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, UIUC Dr. Jessica Rutkoski is an Assistant Professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the university’s winter wheat breeding program, focused on developing high-performing wheat varieties to enhance farm profitability in Illinois and beyond. A small grains breeder and quantitative geneticist, Dr. Rutkoski’s research leverages technologies like remote sensing and genomics to advance plant breeding. She earned her PhD in Plant Breeding from Cornell University and previously spent five years supporting international breeding programs in developing countries.

Dr. Eliana Monteverde leads the soybean breeding program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she also teaches and advises students. With a PhD in Plant Breeding from Cornell University and experience in rice and forage grass genetics in Uruguay, her research focuses on improving soybean seed composition traits to enhance its global role as a vital source of oil and protein.