Innovation

Plant breeding for sustainable agriculture

The goal of our breeding program is to provide farmers with precisely those varieties that meet their operational needs. Whether conventional or organic farming, we see no difference. We offer seed that is adapted to the climate and soil conditions of various regions, offers increased yield and reduces pesticide use.

To achieve this, continuous and intense research activities are required. It takes eight to twelve years for a new variety to be approved and become available to the market. In the 21/22 business year we invested 286.4 mio. € in research and development for high performing seeds.

Objectives

Of course, the yield is what matters most. There are, however, many possibilities and “parameters” to achieve this annual increase of 2%, which vastly differ by crop.

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Breeding methods

The best plant breeding practices still include crossing and selection. However, the new methods of genome editing are the ones that shape the future.

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Projects

Innovative approaches, new technologies and collaboration play increasingly important roles in new seed development.

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Let’s talk about the future: Genome Editing

New breeding methods and genome editing

What exactly is genome editing? How does it
work? And is it genetic engineering or not? We answer and discuss these and many
other questions here.

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Are you already familiar with our World of Farming?

KWS_Data_Plant_Project_Cercospora_Sugar_beet_Experimental_field_Plattling_Laser_Heat-image_TU_Clausthal.jpg

Battling the harmful Cercospora fungus with big data, light and artificial intelligence

The earlier Cercospora leaf spot is stopped, the fewer the losses that sugarbeet farmers will suffer. In the “DataPlant” project, three research institutions and companies are combining their farming and optics expertise in an effort to automatically spot the fungus at an early stage – with the help of light, sensors, weather data and artificial intelligence.

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KWS_Robot_TerraSentia_Artificial_Intelligence_KI_Field_Robot_Field_Travel_Field.jpg

A field with a future: Artificial intelligence for better seed

Artificial intelligence is gaining in importance in seed breeding. KWS is currently developing and conducting tests with a field robot in the U.S. to find out how plant traits can be identified automatically and precisely to support variety selection decisions and enable conclusions that will help improve yields and resistances in agricultural crops.

Our worldwide KWS breeding network

Our current key research and development figures:

		2021/2022	2020/2021	2019/2020
R&D employees	Ø	1,800*	2,122	2,073
Percentage R&D employees of the entire workforce	in %	35,8	35.4	36.3
R&D cost	€ million	286,4	252	236.1
R&D ratio¹	in %	18,6	19.3	18.4
Marketing approvals for new varieties		486	492	484

^{*excluding seasonal workers}

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Your contact

Stephan Krings

Head of Global Marketing and Communications

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Plant breeding for sustainable agriculture

Objectives

Breeding methods

Projects

Let’s talk about the future: Genome Editing

New breeding methods and genome editing

Are you already familiar with our World of Farming?

Battling the harmful Cercospora fungus with big data, light and artificial intelligence

A field with a future: Artificial intelligence for better seed

Our worldwide KWS breeding network

Our current key research and development figures:

Discover more

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