Corteva Unveils ‘Breakthrough’ in Drought-Resistant Wheat

This week Corteva unveiled a drought-resistant wheat seed that company officials said could be revolutionary in advancing more climate-resilient hybrids for a crop that’s been difficult to innovate.  The new proprietary hybrid wheat seed has the potential to increase yields by 10% while using the same amount of land and resources.  The non-GMO technology can also provide yields 20% above competitors in drought conditions.

The Indianapolis-based company plans to bring hybrid Hard Red Winter wheat to North America by 2027 as competitors race to bring drought-tolerant seeds to market.  Hybrid seeds, created by crossing two genetically different parents, have been used for decades by corn and soy farmers as a way to produce more resilient, higher yielding plants.  However, due to the relatively complex genetics of wheat, progress on creating a hybrid has been slow.

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