Heidi M. Dornath 

Position: M.S. Plant Breeding

Education History

• 2023 – B.S. Agronomy and Seed Science, Iowa State University, USA

Biography

Heidi’s research focuses on establishing a new system for screening soybean varieties for heat, drought, and flood tolerances using both visual ratings and sensor data. Heidi has held multiple leadership positions at Iowa State University, including field day co-chair for the Corteva-sponsored R. F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium, Seminar Co-Chair for the Agronomy Graduate Student Club, and is part of Workforce in Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence. 

Current Project:  

Near-field abiotic stress tolerance system

Abiotic stress screening is typically conducted in stress nurseries or controlled environments, with inconsistent results across years due to weather. The near-field abiotic stress tolerance (N-FAST) system provides a modular approach to control the timing and severity of various stresses by using 5-gallon buckets and temporary greenhouse structures. This system enables more consistent and reproducible stress screening for heat, drought, and flood conditions to help make selections.