6 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA SEPTEMBER 2026 When Anubhav Tripathi began study ing drought tolerance in maize in Nepal, his question was practical: which plants could keep performing when water became scarce? Today, as a master’s student at the University of Alberta, he is investigating whether genetic material from Brassica oleracea — the species that includes cab bage and broccoli — influences hybrid performance, with a particular focus on seed yield and heterosis. The crop and technology have changed, but the idea connecting his work has not: farmers need more resilient and productive crops, and genetic diver sity may hold some of the answers. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture with distinction from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, where his undergraduate research focused on drought tolerance in maize. He later worked at Nepal’s National Plant Breeding and Genetics Research Dayna Wozny arrived at the University of Manitoba planning to become an engineer. Then a few biology and agricul ture courses changed her direction. She pivoted into agronomy and is now completing a master’s in plant science while exploring a question with implications for Canada’s canola indus try: can breeders select for seed quality traits beyond yield and oil content? She studies seed storage protein composition, examining how protein fractions vary across the plant, seed sizes and environmental conditions. The goal is to better understand traits that could support higher-value food and processing applications for canola. Her work reflects a shift in plant breeding. While breeders have tradition ally emphasized yield, disease resistance and agronomic performance, growing markets are creating demand for quality characteristics important to consumers and processors. Dayna has already built experience He’s Betting on Genetic Diversity to Build Better Canola Anubhav Tripathi | University of Alberta She Planned to Become an Engineer. Now She’s Rethinking Canola’s Future Dayna Wozny | University of Manitoba Canola’s next genetic advantage — reaching beyond the crop itself to unlock hidden diversity that could produce stronger, higher-yielding hybrids. WHAT HE’S BUILDING: Center, phenotyping wheat and main taining crossing blocks. At the U of A, he has continued that hands-on breeding work while expanding into data analysis and quantitative genomics. At the heart of his current work is heterosis, or hybrid vigour: genetically distinct parents can sometimes produce offspring that outperform them. By identifying genetic combinations associated with that advantage, breeders may be able to develop stronger hybrids more deliberately. His supervisor, University of Alberta professor Habibur Rahman, calls his pre-graduate publication record “out standing”. He was also impressed when Anubhav analyzed an existing research dataset and quickly produced a manu script draft after arriving in Edmonton. Anubhav has demonstrated an ability to communicate that science, too. In 2026, he was a finalist in the University of Alberta’s Three Minute Thesis compe tition. It challenges graduate students to explain their research, and why it mat ters, to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes, using only one slide. A future where canola is bred not just for how much it produces, but for what each seed can become — unlocking new value hidden inside one of Canada’s most important crops. WHAT SHE’S BUILDING: across field, classroom and laboratory set tings. With the University of Manitoba’s canola breeding program, she collected breeding data, processed seed and assisted with greenhouse operations. She has also taught plant science courses and mentored undergraduate students. At Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon, she ana lyzed canola protein composition using advanced laboratory equipment and col laborated with federal researchers. University of Manitoba canola breeder Rob Duncan calls her “one of the best summer students we have ever had,” pointing to her ability to explain con cepts, collaborate and complete projects efficiently. Bringing her into graduate studies, he says, was “an easy decision.” AAFC research scientist Sally Vail believes the research could help develop high-value markets for Canadian canola and predicts Dayna will make a signifi cant contribution to plant breeding.
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