About

Professor Rebecca Nelson is the Principal Investigator of the Nelson Lab at Cornell University, where she holds the position of Professor in Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, Plant Breeding & Genetics, and Global Development. Her research focuses on plant pathology and plant-microbe interactions, with an emphasis on improving agricultural sustainability and resilience. The lab's work includes studying diseases such as ear rots and mycotoxins, foliar diseases, and the development of farmer research networks. They also utilize remote sensing and spectral imaging technologies to advance their research. Professor Nelson's interdisciplinary approach integrates plant breeding, genetics, and global development to address challenges in agriculture, particularly those related to disease resistance and sustainable food systems.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Political Science
• Genetics
• Biology
• Ecology
• Economics
• Machine Learning
• Business
• Geography
• Artificial Intelligence
• Environmental economics
• Sociology
• Social Science
• Computer Security
• Natural resource economics
• Data science
• Process management
• Pedagogy
• Engineering
• Agronomy
• Medicine
• Engineering ethics
• World Wide Web
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Realizing an equitable circular bionutrient economy in the United States

  Nature Sustainability · 2026-04-15

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Drone‐based phenotyping of maize for multiple disease resistance and yield in breeding field trials

  The Plant Phenome Journal · 2026-04-14

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Improving selection for multiple disease resistance (MDR) and yield in maize ( Zea mays L.) requires high‐throughput, objective phenotyping tools, particularly under field conditions where several foliar diseases co‐occur. We evaluated drone‐based multispectral vegetation indices (VIs) for predicting resistance to northern leaf blight (NLB; inoculated), northern leaf spot (NLS; natural), anthracnose top dieback (ATD; natural), and for predicting grain yield across 2 years in near‐isogenic inbreds, near‐isogenic hybrids, and a diverse hybrid panel. VIs showed lower coefficients of variation but broad‐sense heritability ranging from 0.09 to 0.95, compared with 0.30 to 0.99 for visual disease scores and 0.21 to 0.97 for yield. Correlations between VIs and ground traits were strongest in near‐isogenic hybrids, particularly for early‐season yield prediction ( r = 0.98–0.99 in 2018; r = 0.87–0.90 in 2019), and moderate for total disease severity (e.g., r = −0.61 to −0.68 in 2018). Associations were weaker and less consistent in the diverse hybrid panel (yield r = 0.11–0.28). Disease‐specific signals were temporally structured: NLS correlated most strongly with early‐season VIs ( r = −0.59 to −0.75), whereas ATD was best detected mid‐season ( r = −0.63 to −0.66) along with NLB ( r = −0.66 to −0.75). Overall, multispectral VIs captured meaningful canopy variation related to MDR and yield, with predictive performance depending on germplasm structure and flight timing. These findings highlight the potential of drone‐based temporal phenotyping to complement visual assessments and improve selection efficiency in maize breeding programs.

  PublisherDOI

• A study on socio economic aspects and constraints faced by banana growers in Khagaria district of Bihar

  International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The present study titled “A Study on Socio-Economic Aspects and Constraints Faced by Banana Growers in Khagaria District of Bihar” aimed to assess the socio-economic conditions and challenges faced by banana growers in Khagaria district. The study was conducted in Gogri block, where purposive and random sampling methods were employed to select respondents. The majority of the respondents belonged to marginal and small farm size categories, with fewer respondents in semi-medium, medium, and large categories. A higher proportion of respondents were young, followed by middle-aged individuals, and the smallest group was elderly. Regarding education, 28% of the respondents were illiterate, and 72% had varying levels of literacy. The study revealed that most respondents were male and lived in nuclear families. In terms of income, the majority earned less than one lakh annually, followed by those with incomes between one and two lakh. The study also highlighted significant marketing constraints, with long distances to markets, heavy losses, price fluctuations, high transportation costs, lack of minimum support prices, inadequate credit facilities, and the perishable nature of bananas being the primary challenges. An unorganized marketing system and the presence of numerous intermediaries were also identified as key factors impacting the banana marketing process. These constraints were ranked based on their severity, emphasizing the need for improvements in infrastructure, market information systems, and financial support to enhance banana growers' profitability and overall well-being.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A study on socio economic aspects and constraints faced by honey bee rearer in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh

  International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study, titled "A Study on Socio-Economic Aspects and Constraints Faced by Honey Bee Rearers in Prayagraj District of Uttar Pradesh," focused on analyzing the socio-economic characteristics and challenges faced by honey bee rearers in the Prayagraj district, specifically in the Phulpur block. A purposive sampling approach was used to select Phulpur block, with five percent of honey bee rearing and honey production potential villages chosen. Ten percent of respondents were randomly selected for the study. The findings revealed that 52.50% of participants were small-scale honey rearers, 35.00% medium-scale, and 12.50% large-scale. The majority of respondents (55.00%) were aged between 20-35 years, with 84.17% being male and 90.00% residing in nuclear families. Regarding education, 32.50% of participants were illiterate, and 33.33% had an annual income below 1 lakh. The study also assessed consumer perceptions of Dabur Honey, with brand image and quality being the most influential factors. The key constraints identified in the honey market included low pricing, management challenges, high transportation costs, lack of proper storage facilities, and regulatory challenges with FSSAI standards. These constraints significantly impacted the honey rearers' profitability and business operations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A study on socio economic aspects and constraints supply chain management on cotton in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh

  International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  The present study titled "Study on supply chain management of cotton in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh" was undertaken to examine the marketing practices, cost structure, price spread, and constraints faced by banana growers in the region. Bananas, being one of the most commercially important fruits in India, serve as a major source of income for farmers in Anantapur district due to favorable agro-climatic conditions, fertile soil, and widespread cultivation. However, the marketing of cotton is often challenged by inefficient market linkages, high marketing costs, post-harvest losses, and limited producer share in consumer prices. The cotton supply chain in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, plays a vital role in the region’s agricultural economy and textile industry. This study explores the structure, efficiency, and challenges of cotton supply chain management (SCM) in Guntur, with a focus on key stages including cultivation, procurement, ginning, trading, and distribution. However, the sector faces challenges such as price volatility, poor storage facilities, limited access to market information for farmers, and dependency on intermediaries. The research highlights the need for improved transparency, digital integration, and government support to streamline the SCM process. Implementing better logistics, real-time data systems, and farmer cooperatives can enhance profitability and sustainability. The supply chain begins with small and medium-scale farmers cultivating cotton, primarily during the Kharif season. Despite favorable climatic conditions, farmers face challenges such as fluctuating input costs, pest infestations, and dependence on monsoon rains. Post-harvest, the cotton is sold at local Agricultural Market Committees (AMCs) or through middlemen. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) also intervenes during price volatility to procure cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP), providing a safety net for farmers. Once procured, raw cotton is transported to ginning mills, where it is separated into lint and seed. Guntur houses several modern ginning and pressing units, but the sector still grapples with outdated machinery in many small units. Efficient logistics are crucial, as cotton must be moved swiftly to spinning mills across India or exported via ports like Chennai and Krishnapatnam. However, infrastructure bottlenecks and inadequate cold storage affect quality and cost-efficiency.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A study on marketing of potato (Rajendra-1) in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh

  International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  India, being the second-largest producer of potatoes globally, witnesses a considerable share of its agricultural output emerging from Uttar Pradesh. Barabanki, a district in this state, plays a pivotal role in the production of the Rajendra-1 variety of potato. Despite its production potential and nutritional significance, the marketing structure for potatoes in this district remains underdeveloped and inefficient. This study explores the marketing channels, evaluates the socio-economic profile of the farmers, quantifies post-harvest losses, and investigates the constraints faced by potato growers in the district. The methodology includes a multistage sampling of 120 respondents from Dewa block and analytical tools such as percentage analysis, Garrett Ranking Technique, and price spread analysis. The results indicate a high percentage of losses during harvesting and transportation stages, a lack of marketing infrastructure, and an overdependence on intermediaries. Moreover, the study reveals low awareness among farmers regarding scientific storage practices and cooperative marketing models. The conclusions underscore the need for systemic reforms in post-harvest handling and policy interventions promoting farmer education and infrastructural investments.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A maize near‐isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects

  The Plant Journal · 2025-06-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  In this study, we characterized a panel of 1264 maize near-isogenic lines (NILs), developed from crosses between 18 diverse inbred lines and the recurrent parent B73, referred to as nested NILs (nNILs). In this study, 888 of the nNILs were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Subsequently, 24 of these nNILs, and all the parental lines, were re-genotyped using a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. A novel pipeline for calling introgressions, which does not rely on knowing the donor parent of each nNIL, was developed based on a hidden Markov model (HMM) algorithm. By comparing the introgressions detected using GBS data with those identified using chip data, we optimized the HMM parameters for analyzing the entire nNIL population. A total of 2969 introgressions were identified across the 888 nNILs. Individual introgression blocks ranged from 21 bp to 204 Mbp, with an average size of 17 Mbp. By comparing SNP genotypes within introgressed segments to the known genotypes of the donor lines, we determined that in about one third of the lines, the identity of the donors did not match expectation based on their pedigrees. We characterized the entire nNIL population for three foliar diseases. Using these data, we mapped a number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for disease resistance in the nNIL population and observed extensive variation in effects among the alleles from different donor parents at most QTL identified. This population will be of significant utility for dissecting complex agronomic traits and allelic series in maize.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A maize near-isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-02-02 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract In this study we characterized a panel of 1,264 maize near-isogenic lines (NILs), developed from crosses between 18 diverse inbred lines and the recurrent parent B73, referred to as nested NILs (nNILs). 884 of the nNILs were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Subsequently, 24 of these nNILs, and all the parental lines, were re-genotyped using a high-density SNP chip. A novel pipeline for calling introgressions, which does not rely on knowing the donor parent of each nNIL, was developed based on a hidden Markov model (HMM) algorithm. By comparing the introgressions detected using GBS data with those identified using chip data, we optimized the HMM parameters for analyzing the entire nNIL population. A total of 2,972 introgressions were identified across the 884 nNILs. Individual introgression blocks ranged from 21 bp to 204 Mbp, with an average size of 17 Mbp. By comparing SNP genotypes within introgressed segments to the known genotypes of the donor lines we determined that in about one third of the lines, the identity of the donors did not match expectation based on their pedigrees. We characterized the entire nNIL population for three foliar diseases. Using these data, we mapped a number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for disease resistance in the nNIL population and observed extensive variation in effects among the alleles from different donor parents at most QTL identified. This population will be of significant utility for dissecting complex agronomic traits and allelic series in maize. Significance Statement The study reports the characterization of a publicly available population of 1,264 maize near-isogenic lines largely derived from a single recurrent parent and 18 donor lines. This population is likely to be of significant utility for the characterization of allelic series at loci of interest.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A study on socio-economic aspects and constraints faced by green chilli growers in Begusarai District of Bihar

  International Journal of Agriculture and Food Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The study titled "A Study on Socio-Economic Aspects and Constraints Faced by Green Chilli Growers in Begusarai District of Bihar" aimed to analyze the socio-economic conditions and challenges encountered by green chilli farmers in Begusarai district. The district, known for its favorable agro-climatic conditions, supported the cultivation of green chilli, which was a significant cash crop for small and marginal farmers. The study focused on the Barauni block, where five percent of the villages with potential green chilli cultivators were purposively selected, and ten percent of respondents were randomly chosen for data collection. The findings revealed that the majority of green chilli farmers belonged to the marginal farm size category, followed by small and semi-medium farm sizes. Most respondents were young, with 40% being illiterate, and 60% were literate, with varied educational backgrounds. The majority were male, lived in nuclear families, and earned an annual income of less than one lakh. The study identified seven major constraints in the marketing of green chilli, with high transportation costs ranking as the most significant, followed by inadequate storage facilities, limited access to market information, lack of organized marketing channels, dependency on middlemen, price fluctuations, and insufficient market infrastructure. These constraints significantly affected the profitability of green chilli farming in the district, highlighting the need for improvements in marketing infrastructure and market access to ensure better economic outcomes for the growers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• An analysis of post-harvest losses and marketing practices of banana in Khagaria district of Bihar

  International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The present study, entitled “An Analysis of Post-Harvest Losses and Marketing Practices of Banana in Khagaria District of Bihar,” was undertaken to examine the extent of physical and economic losses and to evaluate the efficiency of various marketing channels. The study was confined to the Khagaria district, where Gogri block was selected purposively due to its significant banana production. From this block, five percent of banana-growing villages were selected, and ten percent of banana cultivators were chosen randomly for data collection. The analysis revealed substantial variations in post-harvest losses and marketing efficiency across three identified marketing channels. In Channel I, physical loss was limited to 3.5 kg and economic loss amounted to Rs. 130.37, occurring solely at the farm level, with no additional losses at packaging, wholesale, or retail stages. Channel II showed a total physical loss of 6.4 kg and economic loss of Rs. 238.30, with losses incurred at farm, packaging, and wholesale levels. Channel III recorded the highest physical and economic losses—7.7 kg and Rs. 286.72 respectively—spanning all stages including retail. Marketing cost and efficiency varied significantly, with Channel I showing the highest marketing efficiency at 115.40%, while Channel II and III recorded lower efficiencies of 6.49% and 4.62% respectively. These findings indicated that the number of intermediaries and increased handling contributed to both higher losses and lower efficiency. The study concluded that enhancing post-harvest management practices in packaging, storage, and transportation is essential to minimize losses and improve marketing efficiency.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Peter Balint‐Kurti

  North Carolina State University

  45 shared

• James B. Holland

  Agricultural Research Service

  42 shared

• Tyr Wiesner‐Hanks

  Cornell University

  41 shared

• G. A. Forbes

  CGIAR

  40 shared

• Michael A. Gore

  Cornell University

  40 shared

• Judith M. Kolkman

  Cornell University

  39 shared

• Christopher C. Mundt

  Oregon State University

  36 shared

• Edward S. Buckler

  Cornell University

  31 shared

Labs

• Rebecca Nelson LabPI

Education

• BA

  Swarthmore College

  1982

Awards & honors

• International IPM Award of Excellence (2018)
• Outstanding Accomplishments in Science & Public Policy Award…
• Excellence in Int’l Service Award, American Phytopathologica…
• The 2010 Outstanding Partner Award for the ILRI-BecA Hub Nai…
• MacArthur Fellow (1998-2003)