GLOBAL seed business S&W Seed Company will enter the competitive Australian wheat breeding space with the additional of the Corteva Agriscience wheat portfolio, which includes both current varieties and a breeding program.
S&W set up in Australia in 2013 with the purchase of the former Seed Genetics International in SA followed by the acquisition of Toowoomba-based SV Genetics in 2016, with a focus on the lucerne and sorghum sectors.
The company has a strong footprint in alfafa (lucerne) in its native United States.
The decision to acquire the Corteva wheat sector was part of the company's desire to offer a more rounded portfolio of products to Australian growers.
Corteva has established wheat varieties Pascal, Darwin, Bennett and Faraday while other cultivars are currently in national variety trials, with some set to be commercialised next year.
S&W's Australian-based executive vice-president of international operations David Callachor said the company recognised how important wheat was in Australian ag.
"Our team at S&W is well known for excellence in developing lucerne, sorghum and sunflower varieties, but recognising the core role played by wheat in Australian agribusiness, we are excited to now bring such innovative wheat options to Australian farmers,Mr Callachor said
The wheat program will be run by S&W Research & Development lead, Nicholas Willey, who previously managed the project for more than eight years at Corteva Agriscience, from January 2010 until mid-2018.
S&W's Australian operation includes bases at Tamworth NSW, Toowoomba and Keith in SA, with further plans for additional bases as the S&W breeding and product development pipeline continues to expand.