KWS Group

Why would plant breeders deliberately grow plant diseases and pests? To develop stronger plant varieties, breeders need to understand the threats crops face and identify the natural defenses that can help them withstand these challenges. It takes scientific expertise, close observation and plenty of patience. And sometimes, it means giving crop diseases and pests more attention than you might expect. #LetsTalkBreeding #PlantBreeding #DiseaseResistance

How can it take around ten years to develop a new plant variety? It starts with diversity. Our breeders work with a wide range of plant material, identifying useful traits and gradually combining them through breeding cycles. It takes years of crossing, selection and field testing to identify the plants with the right combination of traits and to confirm they perform consistently across different environments and growing seasons. 🌎

✂️ What if breeding could be more precise – and faster? At the KWS Gateway Research Center in St. Louis, Elizabeth Frick, PhD Frick is working on exactly that. Using microscopic “scissors,” she makes tiny edits in the DNA of crops like tomatoes, peas and spinach – testing how targeted changes shape traits like disease resistance or stress tolerance. For Elizabeth, genome editing is more than a tool. It’s a way to understand plants at a new level – and turn that knowledge into real progress in the field🌱 The goal: • Shorter breeding cycles • More precise trait development • Better-performing varieties 👉With the new EU regulation on New Genomic Techniques, methods like genome editing could become an important new tool for KWS’ trait development in Europe. Read Elizabeth’s full story here: https://ow.ly/KAOq50ZltTG #insidekws #seedingthefuture #letstalkbreeding #plantbreeding #KWS

🎉 204 years after his birth, Gregor Mendel remains one of the most influential characters in plant breeding. Working from a monastery garden, he uncovered patterns of inheritance that laid the foundation for modern genetics. Today, we use plant breeding technologies that Mendel could hardly have imagined. Yet the principles behind breeding still trace back to Mendel's carefully recorded observations. (And we very much share his passion for peas 🫛😉) #LetsTalkBreeding

Three employees. Three perspectives. During a recent photoshoot, we asked colleagues from different backgrounds to describe what they value most about working at KWS using just three words. Three words sounds simple. But it leaves no room for slogans. You have to choose what matters. What you would keep if you could only keep a few things. Simple words, shaped by individual experiences, daily work, and personal paths. Together, they offer an honest glimpse into how life at KWS is lived across roles and teams. This is life at KWS, in their own words.😉 Discover more employee perspectives under #LifeatKWS

🎉 A different way to see KWS 🌱 Our company is shaped by many perspectives. Each colleague experiences their work and everyday life a little differently. That’s why some of our colleagues are sharing their own views here. Through their posts, they offer honest impressions of their roles, their work, and life at KWS, all seen through their own lens. This is an invitation to see KWS from the inside. Through the people who help shape it every day. 👉 Follow our KWS Social Media Advocates (KWS SoMAs) and connect with them here: Dr. Dennis Reckwell AMY A. Anna Szentirmay Daniel Grandis Sang-Kyun Park Luís Paulo dos Santos Csaba Nagy Luis Burgos Follow along for real glimpses into #LifeAtKWS