News
From the world of KWS
Overview
Team sport
Fast as a dragon
Our KWS DRAGONSEED has been out and about on the waters in and around Einbeck since 2013. Colleagues from all departments make up the team, and together they paddle 250 (short distance) or 2,000 meters (long distance). A full crew in the decoratively carved boat consists of a total of 22 people tasked with paddling and steering the vessel and beating the drum. Synchronized to its beat, they surge toward the finish line. If you would like to join the team, please contact Henk Groth or Wiebke Rettberg. Training is every Tuesday from the beginning of April to the end of September from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the recreational lake in Northeim. |
Doubts about EU rule
Earlier this year, the European Parliament voted for amendments to the Commission proposal on Plant Reproductive Material (PRM), which regulates the marketing of such material. KWS has concerns regarding the European Parliament position on PRM: The amendments would make it possible to exempt certain material from official controls and allow it to fall below minimum plant health and quality requirements. That will impact users and undermine the confidence in the sector and the good reputation of EU-produced PRM for global markets. KWS will follow the legislative developments with the request to decision-makers to maintain minimum requirements for all types of material. |
A guided tour at KWS lasts two hours. Who wants to help out?
Visitor organization seeks reinforcement
Every year, our visitor organization guides up to 3,500 guests around the company campus in Einbeck and lets them immerse themselves in the world of KWS for two hours. Topics from research and development, seed production and many other areas of work are explained to illustrate our diverse and wide-ranging activities. Each group of visitors asks different questions – and you never stop learning! We are now looking for support in holding guided tours: Anyone who works at the Einbeck location and is motivated to represent KWS and impart knowledge is welcome to contact us. The work is on top of your own job and takes up about three hours a week. |
You can find more information about the visitor organization on the intranet.
If you are interested, please contact:
Thela Wernstedt learned more about our activities on the land we lease.
Close bonds
The new President of the Klosterkammer Hanover, Thela Wernstedt, visited KWS for the first time in June. In addition to a tour of the Wiebrechtshausen monastery estate, she also took a look at some of our agricultural areas in Höckelheim and Wetze. Both the estate and various areas are leased from the Klosterkammer. The visit underscores the long-standing cooperation and close bonds between KWS and the Klosterkammer, which are expressed not only in the leasehold relationship but also in joint social projects, such as a children’s music school at the Handel Festival in Göttingen. |
KWS surfing tip
The coronavirus pandemic meant that working from home has become increasingly common in some professions at KWS. To prevent a lack of contacts, private distractions or working too long from becoming a problem, coach Nicola Fritze gives six tips for organization and motivation in the audio learning tutorial “Leistungsfähig im Homeoffice” (“Being efficient in the home office”). For example, she knows how you can give your day more structure and describes a 10-minute rule for when things aren’t going so smoothly. What if your child or partner is also at home? The expert has advice for that, too.
There are hundreds of tutorials in our e-library on the intranet. We are presenting some of them in no particular order. |
Corn4FUTURE
Corn is one of the most important crops worldwide, renowned for its exceptional efficiency in biomass production. This efficiency is the result of a long history of selective breeding, which has made corn highly valuable across multiple sectors, including human nutrition, bioenergy, and industrial processes.
To showcase the significant benefits of corn as a crop and its essential role in modern, sustainable agriculture, as well as the critical role we play as breeders making its cultivation increasingly sustainable, we’ve developed the Corn4FUTURE page.
In addition to breeding for higher yields, which directly supports sustainability, we have concrete projects like DryDOWN+ and ClimaCONTROL3 focused on reducing CO2 emissions from drying as well as enhancing drought tolerance so as to deliver stable yields.
Sustainable agricultural practices are a key pillar of KWS’ strategy, and the BU Corn’s initiatives are improving plant digestibility, increased nitrogen efficiency and more, further paving the way for even more sustainable corn cultivation. There’s much more to come, so stay tuned.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Adorned like a knight
Back to the Middle Ages? That's what you might think when you see a chainmail glove – yet it’s an important aid in our sunflower breeding. In order to cross the mother plants in the greenhouse systematically, their anthers have to be removed so as to prevent self-pollination. That’s where a knight’s accoutrements come in handy: Armed with a chainmail glove and sword (scalpel), our colleagues cut out the flower buds in the center of the sunflower. The sunflowers do not put up any resistance, but the risk of injury would be too great without such protection for the hand.
You can find this and other interesting objects from everyday working life and stories about KWS in our Visitor Experience at the entrance to the Forum. |
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
