Success has been an elusive achievement for technology providers wanting to develop hybrid non-GMO wheat products for U.S. farmers.
Corteva is the latest company to announce its intention to develop proprietary non-GMO hybrid technology. It plans to launch hybrid hard red winter (HRW) wheat as early as 2027 in North America, adding to its portfolio over time, the company shared in a recent press release.
Corteva says its hybrid HRW wheat technology will:
1. Increase farmers’ yield potential by 10% while using the same amount of land and resources, providing significant promise for both farmers and global food security. (Based on internal yield trial testing; two years of testing on six to 10 locations per year in each of the market classes; and hard red winter testing in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma.)
2. Be more resistant to drought. Research trials show Corteva’s hybrid wheat can yield roughly 20% higher than elite varieties in water-stressed environments, which would help farmers better adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. (Based on internal yield trial testing; two years of testing on six to 10 locations per year in each of the market classes; and hard red winter testing in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma.)
3. Accelerate the speed to market of new elite germplasm by increasing the scale of parent seed production over competitors’ technology.
Wheat ranks third behind corn and soybeans among U.S. field crops in planted acreage, USDA says. Approximately 39.1 million acres of wheat were harvested this year.
A Look Behind and Forward
The development of hybrid non-GMO wheat products has netted a mixed bag of results for technology manufacturers, among them Syngenta, BASF and Bayer.
Bayer sold its research and development platform for hybrid wheat to BASF in 2018. “Bayer was required to divest the hybrid wheat program it was working on as part of the acquisition of Monsanto,” a Bayer spokesman told Farm Journal.
Since then, the company has begun working on a program to develop hybrid wheat in both the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., the company is building on its WestBred germplasm portfolio, “harnessing internal R&D to advance hybrid wheat and extend our seed offerings beyond varietal wheat,” the Bayer spokesman says.
In 2023, BASF announced its decision to pull its hybrid wheat development program from North America, despite 15 years of research. The company is continuing its hybrid wheat development work in Europe.
Different Products, Different Goals
While Bayer has regeared its efforts and BASF dropped out of the race, Syngenta has made inroads in developing and launching hybrid hard red spring wheat (HRS) commercially in the U.S.
In 2023, Syngenta launched three hybrid HRS wheat products in the U.S. Northern Plains under the AgriPro brand.
HRS wheat is considered the “aristocrat of wheat” used in designer wheat foods such as bagels, artisan health breads, pizza crust and other strong dough applications, according to the U.S. Wheat Associates.
In 2023, 5.6 million acres of HRS wheat were planted in the United States, a slight increase from 5.3 million acres in 2022. The bulk of HRS wheat is grown in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho and Washington.
More Acreage Potential?
Unlike Syngenta, Corteva is focusing its current development efforts on HRW, the most widely grown class of wheat in the U.S.
HRW is known for its consistency and milling efficiency. The U.S. Wheat Associates describes it as a reliable foundational ingredient for most wheat-based products.
In 2024, an estimated 24.1 million acres of HRW wheat was planted in the U.S., according to the USDA.
GMO Wheat Gains A Foothold
In total, there are seven different types of wheat grown in the U.S. today:
- hard red winter
- hard red spring
- soft red winter
- soft white
- hard white winter
- hard white spring
- durum
Currently, none of the seven types is based on any genetic modification. But that could change with USDA’s decision this past August to give a green light to the commercial production of HB4 wheat.
HB4 is a genetically modified wheat variety developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions and features a trait for drought tolerance.
The U.S. joins Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay in authorizing HB4 wheat, which could mark a significant shift in the landscape of wheat production.
Although USDA’s ruling clears the regulatory pathway for cultivation of HB4 wheat in the U.S., there are several additional steps needed before HB4 is grown commercially. These include the need to conduct closed-system field trials prior to commercialization.
U.S. Wheat Associates said in August the organization will continue monitoring Bioceres’ commercialization plans to ensure careful stewardship and alignment with the “Wheat Industry Principles for Biotechnology Commercialization” developed jointly with the National Association of Wheat Growers.
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