Challenges are opportunities

The idea of developing Snelle Lente Roggen in the Netherlands was born in response to planned new regulations there. They stipulate (among other things) that corn has to be harvested by the end of September and that dairy farms must obtain two-thirds of the protein their cows need from fodder produced on their own fields by 2025. The upshot: Many farmers will have to reduce their corn cultivation area and will be hit by higher milk production costs.

Win-win situation: Farmers and KWS benefit

How can farmers implement these new regulations, yet cut their production costs or at least keep them stable? That is where the combination of corn and Snelle Lente Rogge comes in. The objective is for farmers to cultivate the fast-growing hybrid rye variety KWS PROGAS from September to April. After the hybrid rye has been harvested, an early-maturing corn variety is planted.

The advantage for farmers:

• Snelle Lente Rogge delivers the protein and the corn supplies the starch.
• That means farmers can comply with the regulations, yet produce milk at a low cost.

The advantage for KWS:

• Grass has usually been grown to date as fodder in the Netherlands. Snelle Lente Rogge presents an opportunity to expand the market for rye significantly.
• Moreover, corn cultivation is preserved.
• Customers are provided with a holistic offering.

Wanted: land to grow hybrid rye

The idea for the Snelle Lente Rogge concept did not come about until the fall of 2018. Stefan Bruns, Dirk Niemann, Jan Bakker and Thomas Mündler met at KWS in Berlin at the beginning of November 2018 to discuss this project together. The decision was made to start selling Snelle Lente Rogge the very next season.

“After the meeting we first faced the big challenge of finding 80 hectares of land on which to produce the hybrid rye,” said Dirk Niemann. After all, the sowing season for rye multiplication starts at the end of September.

That challenge was overcome thanks to the great work of the KWS production team. A total of just over 16,000 units of hybrid rye – each with 0.5 million germinable seeds – was produced for 4,000 hectares.

Start of a success story

The sales team in the Netherlands undertook great efforts to market the innovation successfully. It created demonstration fields and staged numerous field days in the spring. In particular, it was able to arouse keen interest over social media channels. Farmers were highly interested from the outset.

The dedication of the two Business Units has paid off: Snelle Lente Rogge was sold out by the end of September. 40,000 units are planned for 2020 and 60,000 for 2021. Other countries have already displayed an interest in Snelle Lente Rogge, too. |