Bayer CropScience strives to be a leading innovator in seed breeding and trait development and they held a media luncheon during the 2015 Farm Progress Show. Lloyd McCall works in Bayer’s breeding and trait development department and I sat down with him to learn more about four components that are key to customer success. They include: germplasm, people, process and approach, and resources and infrastructure.
“Germplasm is key for breeding. Without it germplasm and natural variation for the traits you are interested in you will make no progress in plant breeding. Collecting germplasm and putting the right components together is the critical step in breeding.”
Lloyd said they are also leveraging their germplasm on the global front. “We are looking at our breeding programs in Brazil and Argentina searching for materials we can bring to the U.S., not only as parents but as possible varieties. Then we do the reverse.”
Bayer CropScience is relatively new to the table when it comes to seed development in soybeans and wheat. The addition of new staff has been another big player in their breeding program. “We try to bring in the expertise that will help translate it from a theory into a practicality in a breeding program.”
Lloyd said the goal at Bayer CropScience is to always focus on the customer and that customer is the grower. “We have to have the right verity. We have to have the right trait package and we have to have something that is tested, evaluated regionally. We want to come to our growers and offer them a product with confidence.”
In my complete interview with Lloyd you can hear how Bayer is utilizing data and an update on their growth in infrastructure. [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-15-bayer-mccall.mp3″ text=”Interview with Lloyd McCall, Bayer CropScience”]
View and download photos from the event here: 2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
