Edgar was born and raised in Mexico in an area where agriculture is the main income source for families. He enjoyed the scenic view of corn and wheat fields down the valley in his hometown and that was the main source to raise his interest in plant production. Pursuing a career in a plant-related field was what Edgar wanted to do. He then graduated with the equivalent of a Plant Science degree from Universidad Autonoma Chapingo in 2009. After his graduation, he joined a large greenhouse farm in the central-western part of Mexico where he worked for 7 years, during which time he experienced first-hand the struggles of growers with pests, diseases, and other crop productivity issues. That led him to think about learning how to improve plants' resilience to such stresses while increasing productivity. That led him to consider graduate school, thus applying and joining the tomato breeding lab at the University of Florida to become a plant breeder. 

His decision to quit his job in Mexico back in 2016 to come to the University of Florida to pursue his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees presented him with one of his main professional challenges. Although it may not look like a big deal, things were complicated by the fact that he did not practice English nor opened an academic book or scientific paper routinely for more than seven years; all of that while also being a family man with a wife and a four-year-old little girl. The first few months of adaptation to the new life were quite a challenge. Despite all, he stayed focused on his final goal which was to learn as much as he could to have tools to apply in his future career. Edgar’s focus on such a goal and the support from his family kept him going and helped him move on.

Edgar’s dissertation research focused on screening for resistance against the target spot of tomato (TS) caused by Corynespora cassiicola as well as mapping and fine mapping of major resistance QTLs. He was able to identify resistant accessions and fine map a major resistance QTL from three different wild tomato accessions. He also mapped a few minor QTLs from a few select accessions. Finally, he tested and confirmed the resistance in the field.

TS is a major concern for tomato growers in the southeastern US. Along with bacterial spot, TS is one of the most destructive aerial diseases. A conductive environment and a lack of proper control measures can lead to a dramatic reduction in yield due to this disease. On top of that, there are no known tomato-resistant cultivars and the fungus is developing resistance to commonly used fungicides. This puts farmers in a very difficult situation. The results of his research show very promising results. One of the main practical outcomes is the foundation for the development of the first-ever TS-resistant cultivars which are expected to alleviate the TS problem in this region. Resistant cultivars along with an integrated disease management program will effectively protect against the disease. 

For more information about the impact of his research please read this recently released news.

Edgar’s immediate plan is to stay as a postdoc to publish some papers out of his dissertation research. Later he will start applying for positions in plant breeding of vegetable and/or berry industry either in the US or Mexico. He envisions himself in the long term as an applied vegetable/berry breeder in the private industry.

“The GCREC Tomato Breeding Team and I are thrilled that Edgar is continuing his postdoctoral studies with us. He was an outstanding student and is a highly productive postdoc. Edgar is gifted with decisiveness, with a keen eye for selections, and with a solid understanding of science; he is on his way to being a key player in the breeding world.”

Interviewer: Amanda Furuya