Skip to main content
Site navigation
Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science

Melanie Caffe

Melanie Caffe

Title

Associate Professor

Office Building

Young Brothers Seed Technology Laboratory

Office

113

Mailing Address

Seed Technology Lab 113
Agronomy, Horticulture & Plant Science-Box 2100A
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

Dr. Caffe leads the oat breeding program at South Dakota State University and carries out various research projects related to oat improvement.

The objective of the oat breeding program is to increase the profitability of farmers in South Dakota and surrounding states by rapidly developing and releasing new oat cultivars with increased productivity for grain and forage production, and improved agronomic characteristics including lodging resistance and resistance to fungal and viral diseases. Our objective is to also improve grain value and marketability. Oats present many health benefits for human consumption. We work closely with the oat milling industry to develop varieties with improved milling characteristics and increased nutritional value for consumers.

Academic Interests

  • Oat breeding and genetics

Academic Responsibilities

  • PS746 - Plant Breeding

Committees and Professional Memberships

  • American Oat Worker Committee (Secretary)
  • NC7 Conservation, Management, Enhancement and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources (SDAES representative)
  • SDSU Variety Release Committee

Extension Responsibilities

Presentations at field days across the state to educate producers about oat cultivars released by the SDSU oat breeding program.

Awards and Honors

  • 2018 Pat and Jo Cannon Intellectual Property Commercialization Award

Patents

  • Plant Variety Protection - Oat cultivars 'Hayden', 'Natty', 'Sumo', 'Saddle', 'Warrior', 'Rushmore', 'SD Buffalo'.

Areas of Research

  • Use of drones for high throughput phenotyping.
  • Use of genomic selection.
  • Root phenotyping and tolerance to drought stress.
  • Genome wide association studies for major traits of oats.
  • Optimization of breeding methods.

Department(s)