Leading University Appoints AI Expert to Transform Plant Breeding with Data-Driven Agriculture
Wageningen, Friday, 23 January 2026.
Wageningen University’s appointment of Professor Agnieszka Golicz signals a major shift toward technology-driven agriculture. Starting March 1, 2026, Golicz will lead the Plant Breeding chair group, bringing expertise in explainable artificial intelligence and genomics to revolutionize crop development. Her appointment coincides with the 20th anniversary of WUR’s Plant Breeding program, marking a pivotal moment where traditional breeding meets cutting-edge computational methods. The move positions the Netherlands at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology, with AI promising to accelerate breeding programs and predict optimal plant trait combinations years earlier than conventional methods.
AgriTech Innovation Category and Core Benefits
This development falls squarely within the agritech sector, representing a convergence of agricultural science with advanced computational technologies [1]. The appointment brings significant benefits to global food security challenges through accelerated crop improvement programs. Professor Golicz’s expertise in explainable artificial intelligence promises to transform how breeding decisions are made, enabling scientists to predict which plant crosses will yield the best trait combinations before years of traditional field testing [1]. According to Richard Harrison, director of WUR’s Plant Sciences Group, plant breeding is entering a new phase where AI and biotechnology will play much larger roles in designing and accelerating breeding programs, fundamentally changing educational approaches for future agricultural scientists [1].
Revolutionary Technology Behind AI-Driven Plant Breeding
The technology operates by analyzing massive genomic datasets to identify optimal breeding combinations through machine learning algorithms [4]. Golicz explains that AI transforms plant breeding at high speed by helping scientists better understand biological processes and predict early which crosses will likely produce the best trait combinations [1]. The Plant Breeding chair group at WUR studies fundamental biological and genetic principles driving crop improvement by integrating bioinformatics, developmental biology, quantitative genetics, and statistics [2]. This data-driven approach enables faster, smarter, and more precise research decisions that were previously time-consuming or impossible using traditional methods [4]. The combination of biotechnology with computational tools accelerates innovation in sustainable agriculture and crop improvement, moving research toward efficiency, precision, and global food security [4].
Leadership Profile and Institutional Foundation
Professor Agnieszka Golicz currently serves as professor of Agrobio-informatics at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, where she researches the genetic and molecular basis of plant traits [1]. Her academic background includes molecular genetics studies at the University of Dundee, a PhD in Applied Bioinformatics from the University of Queensland, and postdoctoral research at the University of Melbourne [1]. Golicz has contributed significantly to mapping genomes and pangenomes of field beans, demonstrating her practical experience in advanced genomic analysis [1]. She will succeed Richard Visser as head of the Plant Breeding chair group when she joins WUR on March 1, 2026 [1]. Wageningen University & Research, located in the Netherlands, operates one of the world’s leading agricultural research institutions, with its Plant Breeding group celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026 [1].
Strategic Vision for Agricultural Transformation
Golicz emphasizes that WUR’s strong connection between fundamental and applied research attracted her to the position, offering opportunities to make new technologies available more quickly for modern breeding programs [1]. Her background in data analysis, bioinformatics, and plant genomics positions her to contribute significantly to this integrated approach [1]. The Plant Breeding chair group focuses on research themes including molecular mechanisms of resistance, new plant breeding techniques, climate resilience and stress biology, genetic diversity and novel crops, and quantitative genetics and genomics [2]. This comprehensive research portfolio addresses critical agricultural challenges through understanding how molecular mechanisms contribute to specific traits, forming the scientific foundation for future advances in crop resilience, productivity, and sustainability [2]. The appointment signals WUR’s commitment to positioning the Netherlands at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology innovation through the integration of traditional breeding practices with cutting-edge computational methods.