Vylor, the seed and genetics company being separated from Corteva, plans to launch its first hybrid wheat products in North America in 2027, built on a proprietary hybridisation system it calls Xpedite. The company says hybrids from the system can raise yield potential by about 10 percent over conventional varieties, and by up to 20 percent in some water-stressed conditions, while delivering grain that meets standard quality requirements and can be grown with existing equipment and practices.

"Wheat is grown on nearly 550 million acres globally and on more than 60 million acres in North America, making it the region's third largest row crop. It is also, importantly, a critical source of food for hundreds of millions of people, accounting for 20% of calories consumed worldwide," said Judd O'Connor, who will be Vylor's chief commercial and operations officer. "We're excited to start working with farmers to help them grow more of this critical crop."

Hybrid wheat is made by crossing two parent lines to capture traits that lift performance; Vylor's system was developed by conventional breeding and is non-GMO. The company reports that the hybridisation system has worked across all wheat germplasm tested in its trials, which it says could speed future breeding and get new genetics to market faster, and it expects the rate of annual genetic gain in wheat to rise significantly over the coming years.

The rollout begins with hard red winter wheat in North America in 2027, followed by soft red winter and hard red spring wheat in later years, with international expansion expected through partnerships and licensing. Vylor sees hybrid wheat becoming a platform alongside its corn and soybean businesses.

Photo: John Shea, FEMA / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Source: Farms.com