Seed company Corteva Inc. has developed a non-genetically modified hybrid wheat seed that could increase grain yields by 10%. As droughts and other extreme weather events become more common in our warming world, companies such as Corteva play a crucial role in bolstering food supplies.
Corteva told Bloomberg that its new wheat seed requires no extra land or resources and could yield up to 20% more than "elite" crops in areas facing water scarcity, according to an initial trial.
The company is replicating the process other seed companies used to create hybrid corn — now one of the most common crops in the world — around 100 years ago. During the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, demand for crossbred corn skyrocketed as regular corn crops failed, leading to widespread hunger. While corn yields have far surpassed wheat in the United States, Corteva says wheat yields could soon catch up thanks to the new wheat variety.
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"Pioneer introduced hybrid corn in the 1920s, and since then our technology has helped achieve more than 600% increases in average yields," Sam Eathington, Corteva chief technology and digital officer, told Bloomberg. "We're now similarly poised to bring the revolutionary benefits and yield potential of hybridization to yet another core crop."
Bloomberg reported wheat yields are currently estimated at around 51 bushels per acre, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When Corteva's non-GMO wheat hits the market and production is scaled up, it could help solve the growing food crisis far beyond the U.S. borders.
As pressure mounts in the global race to develop drought-tolerant wheat crops, Bloomberg reports that Corteva hopes to have its wheat variety in the North American market by 2027. The company's primary goal is to grow hard red winter wheat — the most common grain in the U.S. — using its hybrid technology.
Not only will drought-resistant wheat safeguard our global food supply, but it will also benefit the climate since it needs less water to grow and reduces the energy consumption of wheat production, which could lower agriculture-related pollution.
Scientists have also recently unveiled a virus-resistant rice that will further protect our food stocks, and other researchers are continuing to make breakthroughs in drought-tolerant wheat production.
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