Bayer CropScience Expands Wheat Breeding Progams
21 December 2010 MONHEIM, Germany, KIEV,Ukraine and LINCOLN, Nebraska, United States — Bayer CropScience and the University of Nebraska have agreed to collaborate on future endeavors to improve wheat breeding and generation of new wheat varieties.
The agreement provides Bayer access to the college’s wheat germplasm. This will allow Bayer to establish its first wheat breeding station in Lincoln, Nebraska, according to the company.
“We recognize the expertise that has gone into developing UNL’s breeding program and the opportunities this agreement gives both partners to strengthen their activities in improving wheat,” said Dr. Joachim Schneider, head of the BioScience Business Group at Bayer CropScience in a prepared statement. “This agreement represents another important step for Bayer in achieving its goal to offer innovative solutions from seed to harvest for sustainable cereal production.”
In a series of acquisitions, Bayer also acquired wheat breeding programs from Ukrainian companies SORT and EUROSORT, based in Mironivka. Bayer will obtain access to wheat lines with excellent winter hardiness and drought tolerance, according to the company.
“Wheat is a strategic crop for Bayer CropScience and as part of its investment plans the company is putting significant resources into research and development to raise productivity of wheat cropping,” said Hartmut van Lengerich, head of strategy cereals, oilseeds and sugar beet at Bayer.
Bayer CropScience has already established wheat-breeding programs at the premises of the Mironivka Institute in Ukraine.
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