Series
Strong from the seedling to the trough
In each issue of insideKWS, we present examples of how our Business Units are putting the Strategic Planning 2031 into practice.
Seed2FEED
Optimized fodder cultivation
Sustainability is an increasingly important issue in agriculture – EU directives are regulating the market and posing new financial challenges for farmers. Feed is also becoming more expensive. That means it is more and more important for farmers to grow as much feed as possible themselves in order to secure their own independence and profitability. We want to support them in that.
Seed2FEED provides ideal assistance for farmers in growing their own fodder. The aim is for them to produce as much as possible on their own land and thus reduce feed costs. In the Seed2FEED concept, we offer cultivation consulting, products and expert knowledge on all aspects to do with feeding. New digital tools, specially developed for our consultants, help us give farmers customized support.
At present, the concept focuses only on dairy cattle feeding and topics relating to corn. However, Seed2FEED’s vision includes all KWS feeding-related topics, combined with all KWS products relevant to feeding as well as other animal species.
Seed2FEED as a communication concept goes hand in hand with our Strategic Planning 2031. It covers three of the four Future Focus Areas: Future Sales Models, Sustainable Agricultural Practices, and Connected Seeds. Seed2FEED will be rolled out in all core silage corn markets this year. |
CS Spray Timer
Herbicide at the right time
Controlling weeds in sugarbeet fields can be a major challenge for growers. The CONVISO® SMART (CS) system gives them a cutting edge. What if there were a complimentary digital tool to bring the cultivation of SMART varieties to the next level? That's where the CS Spray Timer comes in.
It was developed to help growers apply herbicides at the right time, based on the growth stage of the weed Chenopodium album. It works by projecting the growth stage of Chenopodium album through a growth model and gives farmers an alert when the relevant spraying window is approaching.
Bringing such a digital tool to life is no easy task. It requires a lot of effort, expertise, and collaboration from various teams to make it a reality. For instance, AgroService colleagues are responsible for organizing trials and collecting data under local conditions for the CS Spray Timer. This data is then processed by the R&D data management team, which develops the growth model.
After testing and validating the developed model, the next step will be to integrate the tool into myKWS in a user-friendly way. This requires the support of GIT and GMC colleagues, who specialize in user interface design and development.
The whole process of developing such a digital tool can take several years. However, the result is worth it – a useful tool that can help sugarbeet growers to increase crop yields and reduce their environmental impact by timely application of herbicides. |
Spinach and beans
Stronger thanks to early root growth
A strong seedling is the basis for a good harvest. However, drought, pests and other stresses make life difficult for young plants. The earlier their roots develop, the more secure the start of the young plants. Discussions with the BU Corn quickly revealed that KWS INITIO might also be suitable for vegetables, because this seed treatment technology works very well across crops.
We deliberately use only the basic variant, namely a treatment with micronutrients and without chemical pesticides. That makes it easier for us to access all European markets without having to deal with specific regulations in each country. INITIO has been the standard for beans since 2021 and for spinach since 2022, i.e. for our main crops. The technology is also interesting for Swiss chard, red beet and fruiting vegetables.
After all, the effects are clear: Thanks to the nutrient treatment, our seedlings develop faster, more roots are formed. As a result, our plants are better able to cope with stress such as nutrient deficiency, pathogens or drought. Logic dictates that if a plant has more roots, it can absorb available resources from the soil more easily.
INITIO was premiered in Poland, where we completely won over the farmers in the trial. We are currently following the same path with demonstration fields in Switzerland, Spain and Italy. The U.S. and Australia are potential markets moving ahead. And even though the first INITIO variant is being used successfully, we keep on researching. |
Oilseed rape
Tolerance to larvae
For some years now, farmers have focused not only on yield parameters such as grain and oil, but also on other traits when selecting an oilseed rape variety. These include resistance to environmental factors (e.g. winter hardiness) as well as tolerance and resistance to diseases and pests. The fact that active substances such as neonicotinoids can no longer be used means that such traits are gaining in importance.
In order to keep on being able to offer innovative solutions to farmers, KWS is working to further develop these traits by means of pinpointed breeding and, for example, established a new resistance to stem canker or blackleg (Phoma lingam) on the market in 2019.
One of the new oilseed rape traits developed by KWS and represented for the first time on the German and French markets is the tolerance of some oilseed rape varieties to infestation with cabbage stem flea beetle larvae. These varieties exhibit up to 40 percent less susceptibility to cabbage stem flea beetle larvae than reference varieties. This lower infestation is an important new component in controlling the cabbage stem flea beetle, one of the major pests in oilseed rape cultivation.
The focus on innovative traits not only enables market growth but also contributes to sustainable agriculture, since tolerant and resistant varieties can reduce the need for crop management measures such as the application of insecticide. |
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
