Caio Canella Vieira

Caio Canella Vieira is an Assistant Professor in the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Arkansas, part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. He specializes in soybean breeding, focusing on enhancing genetic diversity and applying data-driven methods to accelerate genetic gain. His work integrates predictive breeding techniques using genomic markers and advanced statistics to improve yield, environmental adaptability, and resilience against biotic/abiotic stressors. He occupies the former office of his mentor, the late Pengyin Chen.

Education:

• Bachelor's studies at the University of São Paulo, Brazil (under Baldin Pinheiro).
• Visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota and Purdue University.
• Master's and Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics from the University of Missouri-Columbia (advisors: Pengyin Chen and Henry Nguyen).

Research Interests: Expanding soybean genetic diversity, recovering lost traits from domestication, and addressing Arkansas farmers' needs through collaborations with statisticians, physiologists, and pathologists. Key areas include yield improvement, disease/pest resistance, and consumer qualities in edamame/natto varieties.

Awards:

• Monsanto Graduate Student Scholarship (2018)
• National Association of Plant Breeders Borlaug Scholar (2019)
• Corteva DELTA Scholarship (2021)

Advising & Collaborations: Mentored by Pengyin Chen and Katy Rainey. Collaborates across disciplines to address complex breeding challenges. Engages with Arkansas soybean producers to align research with agricultural needs.

Labs/Teams: Works within the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, fostering interdisciplinary projects to modernize soybean breeding programs.