Turf Breeder, NA

dlfseedsas•Town of Hamilton, WI

6d•Onsite

About The Position

DLF North America is currently recruiting for a Turf Breeder, NA for our operation located in West Salem, Wisconsin. DLF Group is the world leader in the development and sale of high-quality grass seeds for the agricultural and (professional) lawn market. By continuously developing new innovative varieties and products, and with a strong focus on quality and reliability, DLF Group offers demonstrable value to the business of their customers and other relationships. DLF North America SBU, is one of our four Strategic Business Units. DLF employees are characterized by a high level of competency, passion, and commitment. In everything we do we act with respect, trust and integrity. Come grow with DLF! Join a winning team! The Turfgrass Breeder is responsible for all activities related to turf breeding in North America, from sourcing breeding material, trial planning, data collection & analysis to application of candidates. The DLF turf breeding locations are West Salem, WI and Touchet, WA. Trials are conducted in West Salem and Berry, KY, as well as other external trial locations. Seed yield trials are conducted primarily in Oregon. DLF currently has active turf breeding programs in North America in multiple species, including perennial ryegrass, tall & fine fescues, kentucky bluegrass and to a lesser extent activities in bent grasses, warm season and annual turf species. This position is expected to be on-site the majority of working hours.

Requirements

Master's degree or PhD in Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences, Agronomy, Horticulture, or a related agricultural discipline.
Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in plant breeding, with demonstrated success in cultivar development and advancement.
Strong understanding of quantitative genetics, breeding methodologies, experimental design, and statistical analysis.
Experience designing, implementing, and evaluating breeding trials in field environments.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical information to diverse audiences.
Strong organizational, project management, and prioritization skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required to support breeding trials, research activities, and industry events.

Nice To Haves

Minimum Master's degree in Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences, or a related field.
10 or more years of plant breeding experience.
Experience managing breeding programs across multiple geographic regions and environmental conditions.

Responsibilities

Together with the business, define the appropriate number of entries expected in each national evaluation cycle and adjust the focus and activities on species according to projected business needs.
Scale program size in each species to deliver the expected number of candidates in national trials, including NTEP, A-list and European official testing.
Bring breeding expertise to update breeding goals and priorities in collaboration with Product Management and Product Development.
Main breeding objectives are: Turf quality, seed yield, resistance to most common pests and diseases, tolerance to most common abiotic stresses.
Testing, maintenance & development of high endophyte populations in the relevant species.
Secondary breeding objective are: performance under low fertility, chemical tolerance.
Critically challenge the breeding program and drive it forward to success.
Develop and maintain DLFs proprietary germplasm pool as well as connect with third parties to obtain new germplasm where needed.
Actively participate in monthly meetings with other DLF turf breeders and contribute with knowledge and expertise - recognize the turf breeding team is spread across time zones.
Plan seed yield, turf and special trait trials in the appropriate company software.
Collect trial data and supervise the collection of such in remote trial locations by appropriate means (paper, handheld computers, lightbox, UAVs).
Plan and establish breeding nurseries from selections, varieties and populations of proprietary material as well as material from third party cooperators. Maintain breeding and pedigree history in the appropriate company software.
Collect nursery data and supervise the collection of such in remote trial locations.
Analyze trial and nursery data by use of statistical programs.
Plan turf and seed yield trials in third party locations where appropriate and follow up on the data collection.
Execute practical work in trials and nurseries (such as rogueing plants, fertilization, planting, harvest, seed handling etc.) to meet necessary quality standards but in amounts reasonable related to other activities.
Prepare data sets for stage gate 3 meetings.
Attending meetings with product management and development.
Ensure official trial deadlines are met and seeds in the appropriate quantity and quality are available for testing.
Plan and establish PVP nurseries and collect, respectively supervise, the collection of data in such nurseries.
Ensure the accuracy of the documentation for variety applications and meet submission deadlines.
Aid the transition from breeding to field production by liaising with the production department.
Be an active member of the local team and positively contribute to the team spirit.
Communicate the need for equipment and labor needed to deliver required results and quality standards to the trial excellence managers and head of breeding.
Aid training full-time staff as well as casual employees when necessary.
Partners with Product Management to ensure customers visiting trials receive a compelling message regarding our final products and breeding activities.
Participate in field days and seed camps.
During the growing season, visit trial locations at the frequency needed to assure the amount and quality of the data needed. Visit nursery & seed multiplication locations to ensure necessary crop management, data collection and coordinate seed harvest as needed.
Attending conferences and staying up to date on industry developments.
Visit third party collaborators (i.e. Rutgers University) to obtain new germplasm for breeding.
Representing DLF at meetings and industry events when beneficial and deliver presentations for technical sales meetings and other stakeholder engagements.
Travel to conferences and DLF locations outside North America may occur infrequently.