Bill Tracy
Organization: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Location: Madison, Wisconsin United States
Biography
Bill Tracy breeds sweet corn at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bill started his sweet corn journey in 1976 with Professor Walton Galinat. Other seminal maize mentors include Professor Herb Everett, and corn breeders Elmer Johnson and Everett Gerrish. Bill has been active for many years in the Seeds and Breeds Coalition advocating for support of public and independent plant breeders and against restrictive germplasm ownership, especially utility patents. Team Sweet does research on sweet corn improvement and they have developed sweet corn varieties that are grown commercially on every continent except Antarctica. Bill and collaborators have developed sweet corn hybrids and open pollinated varieties under certified organic conditions for organic growers. Bill has had the great honor of mentoring more than 40 graduate students, most of whom work in commercial plant breeding, a number of whom are dedicated to breeding in organic systems.
