Integrative Breeding Solutions for Accelerating Genetic Gain

Over the past century agricultural production has been greatly accelerated through improved agronomic practices and technological advancements. In the next 50 years these advances will need to accelerate in order to provide enough food for a growing global population. It has been estimated that 75% of the production increase will need to come from technological innovation, requiring an integrated effort that uses all available technologies. The recent convergence of genomic data, statistical methodologies, and computational approaches has opened new avenues for using genomic data in the breeding process. Genomics-based predictive tools are now being implemented in commercial breeding programs to increase genetic gain and enhance crop productivity. The incorporation of environmental data into predictive tools has allowed for precise placement of products and maximization of performance under diverse environmental conditions. At Dow AgroSciences these genomic breeding tools have been used to reduce cycle time, improve decision-making, reduce costs, and accelerate genetic gain. This successful implementation of genomic breeding methods required the integration of different types of tools that fit the timelines and scale of global breeding programs.