INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US — Corteva announced recently a breakthrough in a wheat non-GMO hybrid technology that could increase yield potential by 10% while using the same amount of land and resources.

While other crops have benefited from hybrid technology, wheat production systems present unique challenges to consistently and cost-effectively using the technology, Corteva said.

Its wheat hybrid technology also could be more resistant to drought, yielding roughly 2% higher than elite varieties in water-stressed environments, Corteva said. It also could accelerate the speed to market of new elite germplasm by increasing the scale of parent seed production.  

“Pioneer introduced hybrid corn in the 1920s, and since then our technology has helped achieve more than 600% increases in average yields,” said Sam Eathington, chief technology and digital officer at Corteva. “With our new, one-of-a-kind proprietary technology for wheat, we’re now similarly poised to bring the revolutionary benefits and yield potential of hybridization to yet another core crop.”

Hybrid seeds are created by crossing two genetically different parents — to ultimately produce more resilient, higher yielding plants for farmers. Corteva’s all-new proprietary technology has been shown in trials to work in 100% of wheat germplasm — enabling more rapid genetic gains and delivery of seed at a commercial scale.