- Assistant Professor of Participatory Plant Breeding – Career
Biography
Related Websites
Education
- PhD., Plant Breeding, Plant Ecology and Resource Conservation, Wageningen University
- MS., Horticulture, Oregon State University
- BS., Soil Science, Oregon State University
Research
My research focuses on participatory plant breeding as a member of the WSU Breadlab. The approach emphasizes applied, field-based testing and selection methods, knowledge exchange and shared decision making with farmers, culinarians, and other participants in the food system. The scope of my research includes assessment of social, agronomic, environmental and technology dissemination impacts in participatory research. As a member of the Breadlab, my current research focus is on testing and breeding common and Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum and F. tataricum) for culinary qualities and ecosystem services. The research team is screening diverse seed sources and developing new crosses and evolutionary breeding populations for on-farm regional adaptation. This OREI-funded project is titled, More Bang for Your Buckwheat, acknowledging the value of buckwheat as a crop good for the environment and human health. The Breadlab is a team of plant breeders working outside of the commodity system on small grains including wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa and millet. Our aim is to breed varieties that support the health and functionality of agroecosystems while delivering flavor and nutrition. We commonly partner with researchers in agronomy, nutrition, soil science, pest management, and ecosystem services to inform our breeding efforts. Over the past 15 years I’ve partnered as a participatory plant breeder in several multi-institutional, organic breeding projects including the Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture project, the Tomato Organic Management and Improvement Project, the Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative and Systems Approach to Maximize Organic Spinach Productivity. These projects aim to expand our understanding of the genotype by environment interactions in organic systems, resulting in new variety releases and on-farm management of regionally adapted varieties.
Service
- Liveseeding Project, External Advisor, EU-Horizon 2020 project spanning 16 countries, and 36 collaborators working to advance organic plant breeding and seed availability in the EU, 2021-current, previous project “Liveseed”, 2017-2020.
- Sustainability, Guest Editor, Special Issue, Plant breeding innovations to meet environmental and societal challenges in the context of organic and agroecological farming and sustainable food, 2025.
- eOrganic/ eXtension – Organic Seed and Plant Breeding Community of Practice (2006-current).
- IFOAM – Seed Ambassadors Working Group and Conference Committee Member, 2020-2024.
- Organic Seed Growers Conference – Chair, 2006-2012.
Awards and Honors
- American Association of University Women, Scholarship, 2016
- American Society of Agronomy, Senior of the Year, 1996
- Leo J. Anderson Memorial, Scholarship, 1995
Books and Book Chapters
Colley, M.R. (2020). Organic Carrot Production. In: E. Geoffiau and P. W. Simon (eds.). Carrot and Other Apiacea 2nd Edition. CAB International.
Colley, M.R. (Author), Zystro, J. (Author), Buttala L. (Editor), and S. Siegel (Editor) (2015). The Seed Garden. Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, IA.
Desclaux, D., S. Ceccarelli, J. Navazio, M. Colley, G. Trouche, S. Aguirre, E. Weltzien, J. Lancon (2012). Centralized or decentralized breeding: the potentials of participatory approaches. In: Lammerts van Bueren, E.T. and J. R. Myers (eds.). Organic Crop Breeding. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, UK.
Publications
Colley, M.R., J.C. Dawson J.C., J. Zystro, L. Hoagland, M. Liou, J.R. Myers, E.M. Silva, and P.W. Simon. (2025) Influence of Organic and Conventional Management Systems on Carrot Performance and Implications for Organic Plant Breeding. Journal of American Society of Horticultural Sciences, 150(2), 65-85.
Simon P.W., W. Rolling, D. Senalik, J. Dawson, S. Tanumihardjo, E. Spalding, M. Iorizzo, A. Van Deynze, T. Hill, D. Sumner, B. Goodrich, K. Ullman, P. Roberts,L. du Toit, T. Waters, M. Colley, L. McKenzie, J. Sidhu, J. Diaz, and Y. Meng. (2023). The carrot SCRI project taps into carrot diversity to develop genetic and genomic resources, evaluate nutrient bioavailability, and access factors influencing grower and consumer decisions. Acta Hortic.
Trivino, N., A. Rodriguez-Sanchez, T. Filley, J. Camberato, M. Colley, P. Simon, and L. Hoagland. (2023). Carrot genotypes differentially alter soil microbial communities and organic matter priming. Plant Soil 486, 587–606.
Colley, M.R. (2022). Critical Experiences in Participatory Approaches to Build Up Organic Seed and Plant Breeding. PhD Thesis, Wageningen University and Research, NL.
Colley, M.R., W.F. Tracy, E.T. Lammerts van Bueren, M. Diffley, and C.J. Almekinders (2022). How the Seed of Participatory Plant Breeding Found Its Way in the World through Adaptive Management. Sustainability 14(4), 2132.
Colley M.R., J.C. Dawson, C. McCluskey, J.R. Myers, W.F. Tracy, and E.T. Lammerts van Bueren ET (2021). Exploring the emergence of participatory plant breeding in countries of the Global North–a review. The Journal of Agricultural Science 159(5-6), 320-338.
Abdelrazek S., P. Simon, M. Colley, T. Mengiste, and L. Hoagland. (2020). Crop management system and carrot genotype affect endophyte composition and Alternaria dauci suppression. Plos One.
Abdelrazek, S., S. Choudhari, J. Thimmapuram, P. Simon, M. Colley, T. Mengiste, and L. Hoagland. (2020). Changes in the core endophytic mycobiome of carrot taproots in response to crop management and genotype. Sci Rep. 10, 13685.
Lyon, A., W.F. Tracy, M. Colley, P. Culbert, M. Mazourek, J. Myers, J. Zystro, and E.M. Silva. (2018). Adaptability analysis in a participatory variety trial of organic vegetable crops. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 1-17.
Zystro, J., M. Colley, and J. Dawson. (2018) Alternative Experimental Designs for Plant Breeding. Plant Breeding Reviews 42: 87-117.
Simon, P.W., J.P. Navazio, M. Colley, C. McCluskey, J. Zystro, L. Hoagland, P.A. Roberts, L.J. du Toit, T. Waters, E. Silva, J. Colquhoun, J. Nunez. (2017). The CIOA (Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture) project: location, cropping system and genetic background influence carrot performance including top height and flavour. Acta Horticulturae. 1153:1-8.
Hoagland, L., M. Colley, J. Dawson, J. Davis, D. Egel, S. Gu, T. Mengiste, J/ Myers, and J. Zystro. (2016). Tomato organic management and improvement project (TOMI): an interdisciplinary approach to managing foliar diseases in tomato. In: V International Symposium on Tomato Diseases 1207 (pp. 203-210).
Murphy, K., L.A. Hoagland, L. Yan, M. Colley, S.S. Jones (2011). Genotype × environment interactions for mineral concentration in grain of organically grown spring wheat. Agronomy Journal 103: 1734-1741.
Colley, M. and J. Luna (2000). The relative attractiveness of flowering plants to an assemblage of aphidophagous hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae). Environ. Entomol. 29: 1054-1059.
Extension and Educational Publications
Formiga, A., V. Joshi, M. Colley. (2023) Challenges in the Market for Organic Spinach Seed. eOrganic/ eXtension.
Colley, M.R., J.C. Dawson, J. Zystro, K. Healy, J.R. Myers, H. Behar, and K. Becker. (2018) The Grower’s Guide to Conducting On-farm Variety Trials. Organic Seed Alliance.
Colley, M.R., J.P. Navazio, and L. DiPietro. (2010). A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers. Organic Seed Alliance.
Zystro, J., J. Navazio, F. Morton, and M. Colley (2010). Principles and Practices of Organic Lettuce Seed Production. Organic Seed Alliance.
Navazio, J., M. Colley, and J. Zystro. 2010. Principles and Practices of Organic Beet Seed Production. Organic Seed Alliance.
Colley, M. and J. Myers. (2007) On-farm Variety Trials: A Guide for Organic Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Producers. Organic Seed Alliance/ RMA publication.
Colley, M. and J. Navazio. (2006) Principles and Practices of Organic Bean Seed Production. Organic Seed Alliance/ WSARE publication.
Colley, M. and J. Navazio (2006) Principles and Practices of Organic Radish Seed Production. Organic Seed Alliance/ WSARE publication.
Colley, M, M. Dillon, and F. Morton. (2006) Weather Related Risk Reduction Guidelines for Harvesting Seed During Adverse Weather. Organic Seed Alliance/ RMA publication.
Navazio, J. and M. Colley. (2006) Principles and Practices of Organic Spinach Seed Production. Organic Seed Alliance/ WSARE publication.
Select News Articles
Why Buckwheat? A Partnership Effort of Researchers, Farmers and Chefs. CSANR Newsletter, Ali Schultheis, December 19, 2024.
Comic: Adapting Corn for Tortillas – and New Markets in the Pacific Northwest. Civil Eats. Nhatt Nichols. February 1, 2023.
Many Hands Breed Better Crops. Cambridge Core Blog, Micaela Colley, November 03, 2021.
Plant Breeding Priorities for Organic Farmers. National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Kristina Hubbard, October 12, 2016.
Organic Growers Encouraged to Grow Their Own Seed. Capital Press. Sean Ellis. September 16, 2016.