Low input, high output

KWS focuses on varieties that are suitable for cultivation under low-input conditions.

The European Green Deal and the European Farm-to-Fork strategy set clear objectives for increasing sustainability in European agriculture. To support work to reach these goals, more than one-quarter of all KWS’s varieties are to be suitable for cultivation with low resource input by 2030.

These low-input varieties will produce stable yields even when fertilizer usage is reduced, water availability is limited and fewer chemical pesticides are applied. In this way, these varieties can optimally support efforts to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by more than 50 percent in Europe.

Low-input varieties are specifically tested to determine their performance under difficult conditions. KWS is developing overarching crop varieties for the global markets that require less crop protection and farming effort thanks to their resistance to diseases and drought tolerance.

To make this breeding progress possible, KWS invests more than 30 percent of its annual research and development budget specifically in the area of reducing the use of resources.

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Pascal Schopp, Head of Corn Breeding Europe “Mid-Early/Mid-Late”
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Christof Bolduan, Head of Corn Breeding Europe “Early”
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From the drone perspective, the difference between the conventional and low-input varieties (shown on the left) is clearly visible.
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KWS is testing varieties that perform well under reduced fertilization and nutrient availability.