In this episode, we explore the history of genetic improvement of plants, beginning with the earliest days of farmers saving seed from the best plants through the discoveries of Gregor Mendel, Rosalind Franklin, Norman Borlaug, and others. In upcoming episodes in this series, we will discuss molecular markers, the biotech revolution, and the future of plant breeding. Tom Floyd is a retired plant breeder who developed hundreds of commercially successful soybean varieties in a career that spanned parts of 5 decades.