Dr. Ed Souza is a plant breeder and research manager.  He currently works as a research consultant to plant breeding, agricultural and food industries.  In addition, Dr. Souza is an adjunct professor of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University.  He works to develop professionals from diverse backgrounds, helping them grow in their role of feeding the world.

Essays on innovation regularly published at: Substack,

Social Media Links
Linkedin, Substack

Previous Work

Dr. Souza has a life-long commitment to rural communities.  He recently retired from 12 years of leading a global team of wheat breeders for Bayer and BASF. The breeding program operated in N. America, European Union, Ukraine, & Australia.  The lead target for the programs was the launch of hybrid wheat, with intermediate steps resulting in inbred varieties released in Europe and Australia.  From 2006 to 2011, Dr. Souza directed a regional research laboratory in Wooster, OH for the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).  He administered ARS research units in Ohio and conducted research and consulting on food quality and the genetics of food nutritional composition.  Dr Souza was a Professor of Plant Breeding at the University of Idaho from 1988 to 2006.  

Plant Breeding and Research

Dr Souza has developed and co-developed over 30 commercial wheat varieties.  His research into the basic plant breeding methods, resistance to plant diseases, and the genetics of milling and baking quality has resulted in over 140 papers and book chapters.  Work with the milling and baking industry included research to develop low-phytate wheat, nutritional profiles for whole grain flour, and surveys requirements of international users of US wheat through the Overseas Varietal Analysis, sponsored by US Wheat Associates. International work also has included a US-OICD project with CIMMYT in the 1990’s and consulting work with breeding programs in South America, China, and Australia from the late 1990’s to 2011.  Dr. Souza holds a doctorate in plant breeding from Cornell University and taken additional graduate studies from INSEAD in Fontainebleau France and Loyola University, New Orleans.  He is a member of the Crop Science Society of America and was awarded their highest honor, Crop Science Fellow, in 2005.

Dr. Souza grew up on a family farm in Northern California.  He currently resides in Manhattan, Kansas.  He is an avid gardener, cook, and distance runner. 

Education

• 1988, PhD Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca NY USA.

• 1981, BS Plant Science, University of California, Davis CA USA.

Employment History

5/2023 to present – Owner and Lead Consultant, Goodland Innovation, LLC, Manhattan KS, USA.

5/2023 to present – Adjunct Professor, Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS, USA.

8/2018 to 4/2023 – Head, Global Wheat Breeding, BASF, Lincoln NE, USA
6/2011 to 7/2018 – Global Director, Wheat Breeding, Bayer Crop Science, Lincoln NE, USA.

3/2006 to 6/2011 – Research Leader and Supervisory Geneticist, USDA-ARS Wooster, OH USA.

2/1988 to 2/2006.  Professor, Wheat Breeding, University of Idaho, Aberdeen, ID USA.

Photograph by Kaitlyn Law. @kaitlynlawphotography & Facebook: Kaitlyn Law Photography

Art: Late Spring, Dall-E in the style of Winslow Homer.