Proprietary hybrid system marks crucial step-change, expected to deliver new floor for future growth in wheat yield, productivity
Corteva announced a first-of-its-kind non-GMO hybrid breakthrough in one of the world’s most important staple crops, wheat. Other crops like corn have greatly benefited from hybrid technology, but wheat production systems have presented challenges to consistently and cost-effectively utilizing such game-changing technology, ultimately limiting the ability to improve yields meaningfully.
Corteva’s breakthrough hybrid wheat technology could:
- Increase yield potential by 10% while using the same amount of land and resources, providing significant promise for both farmers and global food security;
- Be more resistant to drought: research trials show Corteva’s hybrid wheat can yield roughly 20% higher than elite varieties in water-stressed environments, which would help farmers better adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
- Accelerate the speed to market of new elite germplasm by increasing the scale of parent seed production over competitors’ technology.
“Pioneer introduced hybrid corn in the 1920s, and since then our technology has helped achieve more than 600% increases in average yields3,” said Corteva Chief Technology and Digital Officer Sam Eathington. “With our new, one-of-a-kind proprietary technology for wheat, we’re now similarly poised to bring the revolutionary benefits and yield potential of hybridization to yet another core crop.”
Hybrid seeds are created by crossing two genetically different parents – to ultimately produce more resilient, higher yielding plants for farmers. Unlike other wheat hybridization systems which rely on older technology, Corteva’s all-new proprietary technology has been shown in trials to work in 100% of wheat germplasm — enabling more rapid genetic gains and delivery of seed at a commercial scale.
Cultivated for over 10,000 years, wheat is grown on about 550 million acres, providing food for hundreds of millions of people and accounting for 20% of calories consumed worldwide. Wheat is the third largest row crop In North America, grown on more than 60 million acres.
Corteva plans to launch hybrid Hard Red Winter wheat as early as 2027 in North America, adding to its portfolio over time.
