By Blake Jackson
Ella Shields, a University of Kentucky student pursuing a degree in horticultural science, has been selected as a 2026 Borlaug Scholar by the National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB).
Shields is scheduled to graduate in December from UK’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Shields has developed research experience through the university’s horticultural breeding program, focusing on improving strawberry disease resistance and addressing challenges faced by growers.
Developing Disease-Resistant Strawberries
Shields’ interest in horticulture began early, inspired by her love of strawberries at her grandmother’s home. After earning an associate degree in science from Bluegrass Community and Technical College, she continued her education at UK.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do yet, but I just always came back to horticulture,” Shields said. “I looked at different avenues, but I thought that it would bring me a lot more satisfaction to work with plants.”
In 2025, Shields joined the Sapkota Horticultural Breeding and Genetics Lab, led by Manoj Sapkota, Ph.D., an assistant professor specializing in horticultural crop breeding for nutrition. The laboratory works to improve crops such as tomatoes and strawberries while developing practical research methods.
Shields primarily studies strawberry resistance to Neopestalotiopsis, an emerging disease that can damage multiple parts of the plant. Researchers aim to identify resistant genetic material to help develop stronger strawberry varieties.
“I love strawberries,” Shields said. “My Mimi is not surprised at all that I’m working with them.”
During summer 2026, Shields continued her work as a UK Sustainability Summer Research Fellow and Tracy Farmer Scholar. Her project involved refining a detached-leaf bioassay to evaluate disease development and severity in inoculated strawberry leaves. She hopes to advance the research into field trials.
Sapkota praised Shields’ progress, describing her as an increasingly independent researcher who contributes to experiments and helps train undergraduate colleagues.
National Recognition and Future Research
Named after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, the NAPB Borlaug Scholar program supports students pursuing careers in plant breeding. The recognition provided Shields with funding to attend the association’s annual meeting at Texas A&M University in June 2026, where she connected with researchers and explored horticultural facilities.
“He did a lot — he started the Green Revolution; he made wheat varieties that helped solve a lot of hunger issues across the world,” Shields said of Borlaug. “So it was an honor to be part of that.”
Following graduation, Shields plans to pursue a master’s degree in integrated plant and soil sciences, specializing in horticulture, at UK. She will continue her strawberry research with guidance from university faculty and research mentors, aiming to develop findings that benefit growers and consumers.
Photo Credit: sabrina-hounshell
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