KWS LOCHOW GMBH (KWS-L) is one of the leading plant breeding companies in Germany and Europe with core competency in cereal and legume breeding. Breeding activities are enabled by a modern infrastructure like greenhouses and a multi-site trial network across numerous locations in Germany, France, UK and further European countries. At the breeding stations, small and large-scale field trials are managed according to local practices to address agricultural challenges in a realistic environment. We investigate yield performance under variable nutrient input, different water availability or various disease pressures. Combined with high throughput genotyping, a rapid integration of findings from genomics and quantitative genetics occurs in practical plant breeding.

Role in the Legume Generation project

In Legume Generation, KWS-L will focus on the two grain legumes pea and soybean. Screening of diverse soybean germplasm in multi-location field trials will be used to identify genetics for improved yield and quality of soybean. The performance and adaptation to the temperate climate of Central Europe will be a major objective in soy.

In close collaboration with trait experts and geneticists, we will utilize a highly diverse set of pea germplasm to extract genetic material that is able to enrich current pea germplasm regarding disease resistances, plant architecture and nutritional value to provide greater yield stability and versatility of pea utilization in Europe.