What does a plant breeder do?
Plant breeder responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real plant breeder resumes:
- Manage daily operations of USDA facility.
- Maintain an OSHA compliant work environment, enforce affirmative attendance policy, maintain complete inventory records and met/exceed production goals.
- Travel and work with vendors on equipment upgrades in the extrusion process and tooling rebuilds.
Plant breeder skills and personality traits
We calculated that 38% of Plant Breeders are proficient in Harvest, Greenhouse, and Data Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Management skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Plant Breeders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Harvest, 38%
Participated in field operations, including planting, thinning, pollination, harvest, shelling and inventory.
- Greenhouse, 22%
Worked with greenhouse and field crew personnel in a plant research and seed production environment.
- Data Management, 16%
Developed the data management and data analysis procedures.
- DNA, 9%
Conducted efficiently and competently DNA extraction from plants to verify fertility and that cross contamination has not happened.
- Capital Budgets, 7%
Involved in development of working and capital budgets.
- Plant Selection, 4%
Evaluated research field trials, collected data, and assisted with plant selection.
Common skills that a plant breeder uses to do their job include "harvest," "greenhouse," and "data management." You can find details on the most important plant breeder responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a plant breeder to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "communication skills are critical for agricultural and food scientists." Additionally, a plant breeder resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "avoided osha penalties by meeting with inspectors and preparing a hazard communication program to comply with osha regulations"
The three companies that hire the most plant breeders are:
- University of Pennsylvania2 plant breeders jobs
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Compare different plant breeders
Plant breeder vs. Crop nutrition scientist
Agronomists are professionals who are experts in finding ways to maximize crop production from a given acreage of soil. These agronomists must maintain a deep understanding of soil productivity principles by performing experiments to determine plant nutrients and soil health. They must collaborate with farmers and crop researchers to assess the crop production of the farm and conduct a detailed analysis of crop data. Agronomists must also develop methods to protect crops from diseases, weeds, pests, and harsh climate change.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a plant breeder are more likely to require skills like "harvest," "greenhouse," "dna," and "capital budgets." On the other hand, a job as a crop nutrition scientist requires skills like "diabetes," "r," "product development," and "quality standards." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, crop nutrition scientists reach lower levels of education than plant breeders. Crop nutrition scientists are 6.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 15.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Plant breeder vs. Microbiology soil scientist
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that plant breeder responsibilities requires skills like "harvest," "greenhouse," "data management," and "dna." But a microbiology soil scientist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "laboratory equipment," "qc," "environmental monitoring," and "bacteria."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Microbiology soil scientists tend to reach lower levels of education than plant breeders. In fact, they're 6.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 15.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plant breeder vs. Research soil scientist
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from plant breeder resumes include skills like "harvest," "greenhouse," "data management," and "capital budgets," whereas a research soil scientist is more likely to list skills in "fe," "water quality," "scientific journals," and "soil samples. "
Most research soil scientists achieve a lower degree level compared to plant breeders. For example, they're 9.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plant breeder vs. Agronomist
Updated January 8, 2025
