AgroPages-BASF hybrid wheat slated for the mid-2020s-Agricultural news

−− Mapping of the wheat genome has helped make hybrid wheat possible, say BASF officials.

Sep. 27, 2019

Wheat has been the 98-pound weakling of major crops in recent years. BASF aims to change that, though, with hybrid wheat. The first BASF hybrids are slated for the mid-2020s, says Rick Turner, BASF senior vice president for seed and traits. BASF executives briefed members of the agricultural media this week about this and another BASF developments at its Research Triangle, North Carolina, site.

Hybrid wheat has long been a goal of wheat breeders and companies. It occurs when two different wheat varieties are cross-pollinated to form a hybrid.

It’s not easy to do, though. Last year, Syngenta scaled back its hybrid wheat efforts in North America.

Mapping of the wheat genome has considerably helped BASF’s efforts, says Turner. “Last year was the first year the wheat gnome had been sequenced,” he says. “It was considered not to be possible. This work was done by a consortium of public institutions and companies. It was the only way to make progress.”

BASF’s first hybrids will be in hard red winter and hard red spring wheat classes.

“The seed will cost a little more,” says Edward Souza, BASF’s head of global wheat breeding. “So, we need to capture value (for farmers) with the hybrids.”

Hybrids typically yield more than regular wheat varieties and also offer greater yield stability, he says. “Put those two together, and we think that is a good proposition,” says Souza.

“Growers will need to manage their expectations about what the first products will be,” cautions Turner. “We will deliver value with the first products, and, over time, they will continue to get better.”