The FINANCIAL -- Bayer CropScience and Texas AgriLife Research, a
part of the Texas A&M University System, College Station, Texas, USA
have signed a multi-year agreement to develop and commercialize
improved wheat varieties.
According to Bayer AG, utilizing Texas AgriLife Research’s extensive collection of wheat cultivars and germplasm and Bayer’s expertise in both classical and molecular plant breeding, the collaboration aims to bolster current development efforts and expedite the delivery of higher yielding wheat varieties to market. Financial details of the collaboration were not released.
In particular, researchers and breeders at both institutions will focus on developing wheat lines that offer improved yields, as well as regionally important characteristics such as drought resistance, disease resistance and improved quality. Texas AgriLife Research is a leading provider of Hard Red Winter Wheat germplasm for the Southern Great Plains region of the U.S., and its collection will serve as a strong basis for developing these new lines.
Additionally, the collaboration will focus on the development of molecular breeding tools to facilitate the rapid genetic improvement of wheat. Combining both classical and modern breeding techniques is expected to increase the rate of wheat yield improvement and allow wheat to thrive in areas with conditions which are unfavorable currently for wheat production.
Dr. Craig Nessler, director of Texas AgriLife Research, said the collaboration with Bayer CropScience will give worldwide exposure to the wheat improvement programs of Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
The collaboration with Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University System is an example of Bayer’s strategy to work with leading global institutions that share a vision of improving wheat productivity in all the major wheat growing regions of the world. This agreement complements the many other collaborations that Bayer has in wheat with organizations including South Dakota State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NARDI, RAGT, Evogene, and CSIRO.
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