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Pengyin Chen is the new soybean breeder for Fisher Delta Center
With his feet now accustomed to the soils of the Missouri Bootheel, Pengyin Chen has stepped into some big shoes as he leads the soybean breeding team at the The Fisher Delta Research Center. He came to the Delta Center last fall. The Delta Center Research soybean breeding team has gained national recognition for developing improved soybean varieties.
The group, led by Grover Shannon, professor emeritus in the Division of Plant Sciences, releases four to six new varieties into the market every year. The team just got a whole lot stronger with a key addition.
Pengyin Chen, a soybean breeding and genetics professor at the University of Arkansas, has joined the Fisher Delta Research Center, accepting the MU Division of Plant Sciences David M. Haggard Endowed Professorship of Soybean Breeding.
Shannon retired last fall, but comes in at least once a week to help Chen in the transition.
“What you’ve got in Pengyin is a man with outstanding credentials,” Shannon said. “He’s well-known worldwide. He’s an excellent mentor and trainer of students. He’s farmer-friendly and enjoys working with all farmers. He knows what he’s doing. His track record speaks for itself.
“He’s going to be excellent. I don’t think people even understand how good of a job he’s going to do. I’m excited.”
“I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity,” Chen said. “Grover has one of the top programs in the nation, with great support all around. I told the farmers in the Missouri Bootheel that I’m excited to help them. I’m very receptive to any input that they have.”
A Strong Relationship
Shannon and Chen have collaborated on several projects since Chen joined the University of Arkansas in 2001. Their relationship goes back much further than that, however.
The duo met in the late 1980s, as Chen was finishing his doctoral degree at Virginia Tech.
“Our relationship goes back a long time ago, when I was first getting into the soybean business,” Chen said. “We met during the annual soybean breeders’ tour. He turned out to be a great mentor. He was very personable, friendly.
“Over the years, he kept encouraging me to learn as much as I could and strengthen my technical skillset. He was a big supporter of my career every step along the way.”
A lot of Shannon and Chen’s work together has focused on high oleic soybeans. Mizzou has two patents dealing with high oleic soybeans.
“We’ve been fortunate to do a lot of things together,” Shannon said.
Chen also has a great relationship with another Mizzou soybean breeder – Andrew Scaboo. Scaboo earned his doctoral degree in plant breeding and genetics from the University of Arkansas, studying under Chen.
“Pengyin really cares about his students,” Scaboo said. “He has a long history in the public and private sector of education and training. He’s also strong in variety development. A lot of his soybeans are being grown by farmers across the country.”
Humble Beginnings
Chen was born and raised in north central China. He was raised in a small farming community.
“I grew up on a very small farm in a very tiny village of 192 people,” Chen said. “I was involved in wheat, corn and cotton plantings. I grew sweet potatoes, peanuts and peaches myself. I had a goat, a sheep and pigs.
“I lived agriculture.”
After Chen graduated high school, he was selected to teach biology and English to middle school students. He then went to college in China.
“I was assigned to a college. It wasn’t your choice back then,” Chen said. “I attended the Northwest University of Agriculture. They did nothing but agriculture. We only had 2,000 students then. We now have 34,000.”
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and a master’s degree in plant breeding, Chen taught at the Northwest University of Agriculture for two years. His career in the United States started shortly thereafter.
Chen traveled to Iowa State University and took classes before transferring to Virginia Tech.
“I transferred to the U.S. because I was trying to get my family here, my wife and daughter,” Chen said. “I started my professional pursuits at Iowa State University, studying corn genetics. I was a corn breeder at the time. I worked there a couple years and then transferred to Virginia Tech. At that time, I switched from corn to soybeans.”
Chen studied under Glenn Buss, a renowned soybean breeder at Virginia Tech.
“The opportunity to study under Glenn was outstanding,” Chen said. “I’m very thankful that I was able to work with him.”
After a couple years of working in Texas, Chen returned to Virginia Tech as a research scientist working on specialty soybean development.
After 10 years in that role, Chen continued his outstanding career at the University of Arkansas.
‘An Old Kid on a New Block’
The University of Missouri has worked hard to put together one of the largest soybean breeding programs in the nation, as far as public universities go.
Shannon has played a huge role in that emergence – and he’s happy to see where Chen takes the program.
“He’ll come in and take MU to new places,” Shannon said. “I’m looking forward to helping Pengyin in the next year or so. I think the next few years are going to be wonderful. He’s going to bring a new perspective to what we’re doing.
“We’re excited to have someone of this caliber to lead our soybean breeding program.”
Chen added that he’s excited to take the reins of the program, and he’s equally thrilled to continue the learning process while working with someone he admires.
“I’m an old kid on a new block,” Chen said. “I think I have enough gas left in the tank for another good run. I’m extremely excited. This is a new chapter of my professional career.”
“Pengyin is being humble when he says he may have another run in him,” said Trent Haggard, director of the Fisher Delta Research Center. “He keeps a very busy schedule, is very organized, professional, detail oriented and has high energy. We are very excited about the interactions we have had with him already. Pengyin will inherit a powerful team that Grover put together. This talented team has worked together for years and has also known Pengyin for years.”