People

I joined the Controlled Environment Agriculture team in 2023 as a plant breeder after serving as a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire. Prior to working as a lecturer and finishing my PhD, I completed my MS in Horticulture at UGA and worked extensively on farms in both North Carolina and Costa Rica. My goal is to develop cultivars of specialty crops suitable for production in controlled environments like greenhouses, high tunnels, and indoor vertical farming operations. I am starting with following up on previous work in Cucurbit breeding in crops like melon and summer squash while pursuing other crops based on industry interest and demand. Through my Extension appointment I seek to assist the CEA industry here in Georgia and beyond.

Education
B.A. Anthropology and Environmental Studies, UNC Chapel Hill, 1998
M.S. Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2009
Ph.D. Agricultural Science, University of New Hampshire, 2021

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I completed my BS degree in 2015 with a major in Agricultural Sciences from Tribhuwan University in Nepal. I moved on to the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru, India to get my MS degree in Plant Pathology (2016-2018). My MS research was focused on identifying the host range of whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses in and around leguminous cropping systems. Then I joined Dr. Srinivasan’s lab in 2019 at UGA Griffin Campus and completed my PhD in Entomology in 2024, where my research focused on understanding host-virus-vector tripartite interactions at macro- and micro-level. My research focused on understanding the response of host plants upon virus infection and insect feeding using greenhouse experiments and gene expression studies using bioinformatic tools. I also studied the effect of virus acquisition from different source plants on insect vectors.

After my PhD, I joined CEA breeding lab under the supervision of Dr. Ogden as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where my research is focused on breeding program of crops important for CEA industry in Georgia. My primary research area will be concentrated on breeding cucurbit crops for the resistance to powdery mildew, breeding for the horticultural traits in summer squash and melon, breeding for the fruit quality in dwarf tomatoes, and identification of pathways triggered upon TYLCV infection in six resistant tomato lines associated with six resistant genes (Ty 1-6).

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I joined Dr. Andrew Ogden’s lab as a Ph.D. student in Fall 2024 in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. My research focuses on breeding cucurbit vegetables for controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The goal is to develop improved vegetable varieties using a combination of cultural optimization, conventional breeding, and molecular approaches. My current work focuses on optimizing cultural practices for zucchini production in CEA systems to enhance yield, as well as molecular characterization and QTL mapping of key traits crucial for greenhouse production. These traits include parthenocarpy, rind color and striping, secondary branching, internode length, and stem diameter. In addition, I am involved in research on the molecular characterization and QTL mapping of novel powdery mildew resistance in squash, with ongoing efforts to introgress the resistance gene into elite squash cultivars suitable for CEA production.

Before joining UGA, I completed my M.Sc. in Agriculture (Horticulture) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2022. I conducted my research thesis at the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani, under the supervision of Dr. Iris Yedidia. The work focused on expanding the genetic diversity of the white calla lily through X-ray mutagenesis and tissue culture, with an emphasis on eliminating viruses. I earned my B.Sc. in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 2015.

Vaneesha Berry

Vaneesha Berry brings extensive expertise in greenhouse management, tropical plant production, and sustainable cultivation practices to the UGA CEA Breeding Program. She oversees daily operations of a 9,000-square-foot greenhouse, managing diverse tropical and ornamental species under controlled environments. Her experience spans propagation, nutrient and pest management, and environmental control system optimization. In addition to her production management background, she has led large-scale interiorscaping projects for the film industry, weddings, and corporate events, ensuring exceptional plant health and presentation across complex installations. With a strong foundation in horticultural science and a focus on practical efficiency, she contributes valuable applied knowledge to the program’s research and breeding initiatives. She will be joining the University of Georgia Griffin Campus 2026 to pursue her B.S. in Environmental Resource Science.