Series
Demonstrably good for our customers
In each issue of insideKWS, we present examples of how our Business Units are putting the Strategic Planning 2031 into practice
Hybrid rye
High yield with less CO₂
The EU has set farmers the goal of reducing greenhouse gases in arable farming. We wanted to know which cereal makes the greatest contribution to that and therefore commissioned Blonk Consultant, an international leader in the field of environmental and sustainability research. The results of the sustainability study in various regions of Germany confirm that hybrid rye has the best carbon footprint compared with other cereal varieties, producing around 15 to 20 i less CO₂ than wheat, barley and conventional rye. In April 2023, these results were incorporated in the international databases of the feed industry developed by the Global Feed Lifecycle Institute (GFLI).
The analysis included all cultivation data from three years, such as the quantity of seed needed to yield one ton of cereal, the quality of the harvest, how often the soil had to be worked, and the quantities of pesticide and fertilizer that were required. Hybrid rye is also frugal in terms of water requirements: It needs 25 percent less water than wheat.
And hybrid rye has not exhausted its full potential: It is currently regarded as a cereal for low-yielding soils, although comparisons from federal state varieties trials prove the opposite. Under the same conditions, hybrid rye is superior in yield to all other cereal crops. Our breeding will also continue to be a key factor, as a look back in time shows: Today’s wheat and rye varieties have a 13 to 23 percent lower carbon footprint than varieties from 40 years ago. |
Grain Corn
Unthinkable? Possible!
High energy costs have a major impact on the profitability of grain corn: the crop is typically harvested in late fall with a grain moisture content of 30 to 35 percent. One of the biggest cost drivers in cultivation is post-harvest drying, because grain corn is only storable at a moisture content of about 15 percent. Our new DryDownPLUS varieties exhibit rapid maturing behavior - due to their outstanding ability to release water. This opens up new opportunities such as a significant reduction in drying costs or extended crop rotations.
In rather warmer regions, farms can choose between two options. Either they reduce the target crop moisture to 20 percent to significantly reduce drying costs, saving energy and emissions. Or they harvest the grain corn very early, which has agronomic benefits and equalizes operational labor peaks.
In rather cooler and typical winter cereal regions, DryDownPLUS varieties enable profitable grain corn production through the option of expanding existing crop rotations and replacing stubble wheat, for example. Farm inputs are saved and diversity is promoted. The target markets are in Northern Europe, with the first varieties already registered in Germany, France and Poland.
The DryDownPLUS concept actively contributes to the Sustainable Agricultural Practices of Strategic Planning 2031. |
Vegetables
Customer-centric thinking
Our vegetable sales traditionally prioritize delivering high-quality products with a primary emphasis on our distributors, growers and processors. Close connections between our breeders and customers in combination with an entrepreneurial spirit is one of our core strengths for achieving success. We see that the decision to purchase our material is increasingly influenced by various players in the value chain, including not only growers but also shippers, packers, processors and supermarkets. In order to not only offer a product but also gain a deeper understanding of customer needs, trends and drivers, we aspire to have a seat at the table with the key decision-makers. To achieve this ambition, we are now building specialized teams around eight customer groups:
- Babyleaf customers group in NAFTA (U.S., Canada and Mexico)
- Babyleaf customers group in Europe
- Bunching spinach customers
- Processing industry customers in NAFTA
- Processing industry customers in Europe
- Fresh market bean customers in NAFTA
- Fresh market bean customers in Europe/Africa
- Red beet customers
Under the new structure, the current Area Sales Managers will transition into the role of Account Managers. In this capacity, they will collaborate to develop customer relationships and customer-centric solutions aimed at expanding sales. This will entail close collaboration with Product Management and Breeding. We are confident that operating within customer focused teams will enhance our position as dedicated specialists with streamlined communication, a spirit of entrepreneurship and empowered teams. |
Sugarbeet
Better weed control
In North America, growers of corn and soybeans have successfully utilized herbicide-tolerant traits for over 25 years to manage weeds. Since the commercial launch in 2008, the Roundup Ready® trait developed by KWS led to significantly improved productivity gains and a full adoption rate by growers. However, the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds subsequently poses an increasing threat to the viability of sugarbeet cultivation.
Recognizing the problem, KWS initiated a new project in 2015 to develop the next-generation herbicide-tolerant trait called Truvera™. Similarly to the Roundup Ready project, a collaboration was established with Monsanto (Bayer). KWS incorporated the genetic material from Monsanto into sugarbeet germplasm and created breeding populations for commercial sugarbeet development. The novel trait introduces three herbicide tolerances (glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba), giving farmers better control over glyphosate-tolerant weeds.
The new Truvera trait is performing well in initial trials, and the planned timeline for launch is at the middle of this decade. Our strategy for effective sugarbeet weed control has put KWS in a strong position to respond to the challenge facing growers. Efficient herbicide-tolerant traits offer farmers significant cost savings by reducing input requirements and decreasing application frequency. |
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
