Today’s 8-year-old child will enter University by the time a new crop variety is developed! On average, it takes over 10 years to develop new crop varieties [1]. For some crops, such as strawberries it can be faster (5-6 years), and much longer for other crops such as wheat & potatoes (10-15 years). For tree crops such as apples, developing new varieties can take 20 years or more.
Access to more efficient breeding technologies, including new genomic techniques (NGTs), will be vital to address the immediate challenges of climate change, resilience, and to ensure continuous healthy food supplies. Building on previous scientific breakthroughs, the addition of NGTs to the plant breeders’ toolbox will help make improved varieties available for farmers in the shortest possible time, without compromising safety or quality.
Find out more about plant breeding innovation and have a look at these factsheets with examples.
[1] Facts Series | From plant to crop: The past, present and future of plant breeding
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