Rajdeep Khangura joined the UW–Madison faculty in June 2025 as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences. His position is part of RISE-EARTH, the sustainability-themed focus area of the university’s Wisconsin RISE Initiative strategic hiring effort to solve grand challenges. 

What will your main research focus and projects be at UW-Madison?
Our lab is broadly interested in understanding the underlying genetics of plant phenotypes in cereal crops that are relevant to improving agronomic performance in plants. We have specific projects in the lab where we are characterizing novel sources of broad-spectrum disease resistance in maize, sorghum, and wheat. These projects have direct implications for crop health and yield. Other genetics-heavy projects include a focus on understanding plant architecture, optimizing hybrid seed production, and producing high-quality silage, all of which have practical applications in agriculture.

What made you interested in this research?
My journey into the world of biology started in rural India. I grew up in Punjab, a state in Northern India, where I spent my childhood working on the farm alongside my dad. We grew a variety of crops, including wheat, rice, corn, clover, vegetables, and even Poplar. I also helped my mom run our small dairy operation, which consisted of about 15 milking cows and buffalo. Fun fact: We even had names for each animal, and they all had unique personalities! I also used to attend the farm fairs organized by a local agricultural university (Punjab Agricultural University), next to my village. These ag fairs were well-organized, and they featured every crop and vegetable specialist (breeder, agronomist, pathologist, entomologist, and soil scientist) interacting with farmers. Even though I was primarily interested in fair food, I picked up a thing or two from these specialists. As a teenager, I understood the importance of improved crop varieties and superior Holstein Friesian cows. All in all, I am basically a farm kid who just fell in love with genetics and can’t stop thinking about it ever since.

How does your work support growers, especially in Wisconsin?
My lifelong connection with agriculture and dairy provides me with a strong foundation to partner with growers in Wisconsin and embody the Wisconsin Idea. Our lab is working on both fundamental and applied aspects of plant characteristics, providing knowledge that will enable the development of superior genetics and resources for our breeders, ultimately benefiting growers. We are also exploring ways to develop and expand markets for millets, such as sorghum, in Wisconsin and the northern U.S. We are developing new tools and methodologies aimed at reducing the time to create cultivars and helping breeders operate at scale. I am eager to connect with growers to learn more about the challenges they face in Wisconsin, so that we can better direct our efforts to address these challenges.

What courses are you / will you be teaching?
This semester I’m teaching PLANTSCI 957, Seminar in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics. I’m still working with the department to finalize what courses I will teach in the future, so the details aren’t available quite yet.

This Q&A was reprinted with permission from the plant and agroecosystem sciences department.