AI Agents and Agentic AI in plant breeding: new frontiers, opportunities and challenges.

AI Agents and Agentic AI systems may coordinate complex plant breeding processes, potentially enhancing efficiency and accelerating genetic gain across multiple data domains.

• Why it matters: Current plant breeding AI applications are mostly isolated tools, and integrating the entire pipeline remains a challenge, limiting progress in genetic improvement and food security.
• What they did: The authors propose a conceptual framework for AI Agents and Agentic AI systems that autonomously execute tasks, using reasoning, memory, and tool integration to coordinate breeding activities.
• The result: Although empirical validation is pending, this framework could support breeders in managing complex breeding programs, ultimately contributing to improved cultivar development and food security.