Hybrid breeding
Segments of an all-rounder
New segments are expanding our hybrid rye portfolio. The Generation Rye project enables us to respond to the individual needs of our customers.
Almost 40 years after the development of the first hybrids, a new era is beginning for rye: “We’re currently experiencing a reorientation in hybrid breeding goals. Having achieved a high level in traditional traits such as yield, ergot tolerance, standing ability and plant height, we’re now focusing more strongly on developing explicit traits,” explains Andrés Gordillo, Head of Rye Breeding.
An example: Climate change is leading to more frequent dry periods in summer, increased rainfall in the fall, and generally more extreme weather events. “This places new demands on varieties. Agriculture needs broader sowing windows so that farmers can wait for favorable soil conditions or take measures against increasing weed pressure prior to sowing. This requires more flexibility as regards the sowing time in the fall, as well as better standing ability and drought stress tolerance in the spring and summer – while maintaining high yields. Our new Flexible Hybrid Rye meets these demands,” says Andrés.
Various requirements
In addition, there are needs that have existed for a long time but have not yet been explicitly addressed. Many farms want varieties with stronger standing ability that do not require growth regulators and produce less straw – in other words, shorter plants. We will satisfy this demand in the future with our Short Hybrid Rye. However, other farms want the highest possible proportion of residual plants for whole-crop silage. While for some, an early harvest with a high protein content as green mass rye for milk production is crucial, for others, biomass is what counts most.
These requirements vary depending on the country and type of farm – in a diverse market environment ranging from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to North America. Global land under cultivation is between 4.0 and 4.5 million hectares.
Focus on Customer Centricity
To better reflect this diversity both internally and externally, new initiatives have been launched in KWS’ rye breeding program. They utilize both new genetic resources and innovative approaches to enable the targeted incorporation of traits into our varieties.
On the basis of that, Breeding, Portfolio Management and Marketing at KWS launched the Generation Rye project and worked closely together to develop a segmentation concept. The focus of that: Customer Centricity and diversity in our rye portfolio – in line with our strategic planing, with the aim of becoming the number one for rye in Europe by 2035 and to expand internationally. “In the past, we communicated generally about rye and its properties. Now we’ve included an intermediate level and divided our varieties into segments so that we can respond to the individual needs of farmers,” says Louisa Piel, International Project Manager Marketing.
Specifically, they are called:
- Classic Hybrid Rye
- Flexible Hybrid Rye
- Short Hybrid Rye
- Whole Crop Hybrid Rye
- Green Mass Hybrid Rye
“They represent the diversity of rye,” says Louisa. The segmentation is also reflected in the #GenerationRye marketing campaign, in which we likewise highlight the diversity of the new segments: Each farmer in the campaign stands for one rye segment. “This enables us to serve our customers by offering an individual solution with our rye segment.”
Overview
Our new segmentation in hybrid rye
KWS Classic Hybrid Rye
For more efficiency
Thanks to exceptional resistance and excellent plant health, our Classic Hybrid Rye delivers maximum results with minimum effort.
KWS Flexible Hybrid Rye
For more flexibility
Flexible Hybrid Rye offers a flexible sowing window – after sugarbeet or grain corn, for example – and a high yield potential at the same time.
KWS Short Hybrid Rye*
For more standing ability
Our Short Hybrid Rye is a particularly innovative solution thanks to its standing ability and efficiency.
KWS Green Mass Hybrid Rye
For the very best biomass quality
Our Green Mass Hybrid Rye is a segment that delivers excellent green mass in early spring. Early, efficient, and profitable.
KWS Whole Crop Hybrid Rye
For more energy
Whole Crop Hybrid Rye delivers high biomass yields and clears the field early for the next crop – ideal for efficient crop rotations and sustainable cultivation.
Insights into markets
But what exactly do farmers want? Our Portfolio Management team knows. “Every country has different requirements, and there are hardly any markets where there is equally strong demand for all five segments,” says Portfolio Manager Magdalena Buschmann. “Hybrid rye is a genuine all-rounder. Our task now is to communicate its merits in a targeted manner, while translating practical needs into varieties.”
KWS has entered the new segments with three Flexible Hybrid Rye varieties at present. “A new generation of biomass types is about to be submitted for value for cultivation and use testing,” adds Andrés. Alongside that, a pilot project is underway to evaluate new variety types for regions in lower latitudes, such as Southern Spain, the southern states in the U.S., and South America. “Rye is still a niche crop in most countries. “We want to change that – and make rye a firm part of modern crop rotations.” |Curious about how hybrid breeding works?
The process using the example of hybrid rye from the KWSintern issue 02.25.
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
