CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The company bringing a new rye crop to market this year has a long history of developing superior genetics through its research and breeding programs.
“KWS has been around for a long time. They’ve been in Germany since 1856. It’s a (sixth generation) family-owned company that started with bees,” Justin Milcarek, rye sales manager for KWS Cereals USA, said at the launch of KWS Cover+.
“The company has evolved over time and now we have 12 out of 14 of what we call the most important crops. The only two we have nothing in are sugarcane and rice. We breed for everything else.”
Hybrid tea was first developed in Germany in 1986 and became commercially available in 1995.
“There, they burn it for firewood. Just like we feed our cows, they feed the furnace for energy. They know there is a big market for forage and small grains in the United States and KWS decided to take action and try to get hybrid tea here,” Milcarek said.
Denmark’s Claus Nymand, grain product manager for KWS Cereals, began building the market in the United States and Canada several years ago, demonstrating its winter hardiness and the benefits of using the grain in pork and beef rations.
From there, KWS started building teams in North America.
“We identify areas where we need additional support with regional sales representatives to get more of them in front of the farmer. Meeting with farmers is my favorite part,” Milcarek said.
Wheat Research
As the market for KWS Hybrid Rye grows, the company also expanded its wheat breeding research team in the Midwest, most recently in Champaign County.
The wheat breeding team began its work in Ohio while looking for a permanent home. The team has now been in Illinois for over 11 years.
“They identified Champaign as a good location for that and the University of Illinois to be here in partnership. There are four or five research centers that a local farmer built and provided to us,” Milcarek said.
The wheat research team moved to the current site west of Champaign in 2021.
“Wheat is the only thing raised here. Hybrid rye is still produced in Germany, where there is also breeding aimed at North America,” Milcarek said.
“We have a product manager who oversees all of our testing. I think last year we had over 100 testing sites in the US at universities and other locations.
KWS also has trials for other crops across the United States.
“We have four or five breeder trials across the country, including rye and other products, one of which is two miles from here. That’s where all the breeders will come and take notes to see how things are going in this area,” Milcarek said.
“For example, right now I can’t sell hybrid rye in Georgia or South Carolina. North Carolina is almost there, maybe, just maybe, because of the weather. That’s because all of our current rye hybrids are winter varieties. .They should emphasize.
“We’re learning a lot along the way, and breeders are also always looking for things like subspecies and we’re looking for cultivars, a winter/spring cross that can be planted in the fall or spring, but not necessarily praised.
“Here we would plant it in the fall and you don’t have to worry if it’s going to be cold or not. I think that’s important, especially looking ahead and how things change in this environment.”
Neighborhood
Another KWS station is across the road, literally, from the wheat breeding ground. KWS sells corn and soybean seeds through its North American subsidiary, AgReliant Genetics.
AgReliant Genetics, which sells its products under the brand names AgriGold Hybrids, LG Seeds and Pride Seed, has had a research facility four miles south of the new wheat breeding site for more than a decade.
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