Through the Eyes of a Scientist

I have had the amazing opportunity of working under an exemplary pepper-breeding scientist, Dr. Derek Barchenger, during my time conducting research at the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan. Saying he is passionate about his work is an understatement, and his willingness to guide me through the realm of agricultural, plant breeding science could never receive enough appreciation. He has taught me the importance of diligence and scientific objectivity, which will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on me far into the future.

After spending so much time conducting research with Dr. Barchenger, I was able learn a little more about his scientific past and present in an interview he agreed to take part in shown below.

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What stimulated you interest in worldwide agricultural issues? Did anything you experienced from a young age contribute to your current career passion?

Growing up in a rural agricultural community in southeastern Oklahoma, where meeting nutritional needs was a daily struggle for many of my friends and neighbors, encouraged my desire to help people improve their nutrition. I credit my passion for plant breeding to the years I spent growing up on my grandfather’s farm. My grandfather had an iris-breeding program, and I spent my childhood helping him select parents, make hybrids, and anticipate the results of our hybrids. I was fascinated with this process, and knew from a very young age that I wanted to have a career in plant breeding. It was not until later I realized my ultimate purpose lived at the intersection of my passion of plant breeding and my desire to feed the world with more nutritive foods.

What is the current focal point of your research? How has that focal point shifted over the years?

The mission of the World Vegetable Center is “Research and development to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods.” In 1986 the Center adopted pepper as a principal crop based on high consumption as well as nutritional and cash value to consumers and farmers in underdeveloped countries in tropical and subtropical regions. More than 30 years from the initiation of the breeding program, the challenges facing pepper producers are constantly changing as pathogen populations evolve and the effects of climate change become more severe. Our strategic goal has always been to develop pepper varieties in diverse genetic backgrounds combining resistance alleles to multiple diseases and stresses in diverse markets. However, the tools we use to reach this goal are always changing as new technologies are developed.

Why is your research important? How is it going to benefit people around the world?

Pepper, and most other vegetables, are high value crops and have been shown to increase family income and socioeconomic mobility by creating jobs and sources of income. To date, public sector investment (generally donor-supported) in vegetables has been limited because they are considered low priority compared to staple food crops. While the support of staple crops has made extensive progress on reducing malnutrition, there is now an epidemic of “hidden hunger”, in which 2 billion people suffer from micronutrient, such as the vitamins and minerals, deficiencies that they need for their growth and development. The increased consumption of diverse colorful vegetables, such as pepper and other vegetables, can result in a reduction in micronutrient deficiency. Combating deficiencies can enhance the learning and working capacities of adults and children through improved diets and health.

What have been your main challenges when adjusting to a different culture at the World Vegetable Center? How have you been able to build and grow off these challenges?

I think the most important thing to remember when traveling or living abroad is that people all over the world are the same. When you stop looking for differences you open yourself up to new and exciting experiences that can be transformative. As a student intern at the World Vegetable Center I found the staff to be incredibly kind, open, and generous and this is why I wanted to come and work here after graduation.

What do you do when you reach an impasse in your research?

I frequently remind the graduate students working with us that research is not supposed to be easy. If we knew the answer before we started, we would not have conducted the experiment in the first place. In research, I think perseverance is essential to be successful. It is also important to be creative, and to be able to look at the problem from a different perspective. Also, negative results are still results, and if you can show that something does not work or is not associated with your target, it might help someone else.

How sure are you when reaching a conclusion with your research? Are there others who come to different conclusions than you?

In research, especially plant breeding, we rely heavily on statistics when we make conclusions. However, any good statistician will tell you that you generally do not use statistics to prove something. Rather, you use statistics to falsify claims or a null hypothesis. The most common example of this for us is when you use a Χ2-test to determine deviations from expected Mendelian inheritance models. It is common for us to say something like “inheritance of resistance did not significantly deviate from an expected 3:1 ratio” or “we failed to reject the null hypothesis” and not “we accepted the null hypothesis”. However, we do exercise due diligence to ensure that any claim made regarding resistance to a particular disease or a certain trait is true prior to releasing a line to our stakeholders.

What is the coolest/most fulfilling thing you have experienced in you research?

The best part of my job is when I meet and talk to a farmer who is benefiting from a technology developed by WorldVeg, whether it be a cultivar with resistance to particular disease or with a trait that helped the farmer tap into a new and profitable market, or even a technique the farmer learned from us.

What’s your favorite vegetable?

After pepper, I really like chayote (Sechium edule) leaves, which are commonly eaten through East and Southeast Asia.