b'SEED APPLIED TECHNOLOGIESA Key Driver Towards Improving Food Security in AfricaJOHAN JANSE VAN RENSBURGSeed Applied Technology ManagerCortevaAgriculture is key to building economicYear Update.Seed applied technologies offer tar-BIOSTIMULANT growth, reducing poverty, and improv- To overcome these diversities, wegeted solutions applied directly to the seed ing food security in Africa. More than 70need to build and strengthen our farmersprecisely where and when they are needed. Biostimulants are a Main Feature & No Longer Just an Add-on percent of the rural population dependsby investing in seed applied technologiesIn other words, seed applied technologies on agriculture for their livelihoods, and(SAT) for Africa. This will enable foodare the quickest means to reach and control JAMES MAUDESenior Vice-President Portfolio DevelopmentAcadian Plant Health regional economic growth has been con- producers to protect their crops during thethreats to crop health and yield. This also strained by poor performance in the agri- critical first few weeks after planting. means that products are active in the root culture sector. Once seeds are in the ground, they arezone, and exposure to the farmers, benefi-Most of the continents populationsvulnerable to early season pests and dis- cial insects and the environment is limited. living in the rural areas also lives in extremeeases, as well as adverse environment con- Seed applied technologies get your poverty. The investment of sustainable agri- ditions, but because these treatments arecrops of to a good start, and successful crop cultural and technology development isapplied at the earliest time in the season,establishment is a key driver for the final therefore fundamental for the fight againstat planting they start their work belowyield. In the end we need to produce high hunger and poverty. At least one in fiveground to provide an optimal protectivequality food in a sustainable way, by pro-Africans goes to bed hungry and an esti- environment for plant growth and resil- viding our food producers with world class mated 140 million people in Africa faceience translocating within the seedling tosolutions. Seed applied technology fits per-acute food insecurity, according to the 2022provide extended protection into the initialfectly in an integrated and sustainable way Global Report on Food Crises 2022 Mid- growth stage.of food production. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTUREBringing Healthy and Affordable Nutrition TogetherPIET GERAETSProduct Manager - Green Beans, Carrots, Red BeetKWSThe Future Only Works TogetherDue to climate change, plants are exposedreducing yield. Heat tolerant bean varietiesMagma Collection represents a very special to greater stress factors: Heat, drought,enable growers and packers to improve theirbreeding successa development from strong winds or floods threaten farm- predictablility and their ability to consistentPop Vriend Seeds, a member of the KWS ers harvests and the food supply of manysupply year-round grocery store programs. Group. The Magma Collection comprises people. Plants that can withstand thesevarieties tailored for cultivation at the East CORN, SORGHUM AND OILSEEDS stresses well and produce reliable yields willFaba beans: little input, high nutrientCoast of the U.S., that are specifically bred be more important than ever in the future.cyclingto handle extreme heat conditions like they How to Support Farmers Towards Tomorrows Agriculture KWS sees tremendous potential, amongstFaba beans are a legume that can serve notoccur in important growing regions like other things, in the breeding of high-qual- only as a catch crop for farmers, but also asGeorgia, North-Florida and Texas. Besides SANDRINE LEGROSRAPESEED BREEDING LEADERLIDEA ity vegetable plants which are increasinglyan economically competitive alternative towithstanding seasonal stressors, and the in demand as a source of protein, especiallyother primary crops. Thanks to a symbiosispressure from insects and diseases that as a meat alternative. Legumes are onewith Rhizobiaceae, beans can draw nitrogencome along with climbing temperatures, family of plants with this high capability:from the aira quality that reduces costlythe Magma Collection varieties provide Their ability to withstand hot, arid con- input in the form of nitrogen fertilization.end-use benefits grower, packers and con-ditions enables them to shrug off extremeThey fix nitrogen in the soil, creating a res- sumers seek. That is why the varieties are weather. They are also a true friend of farm- ervoir of nutrients that subsequent plantsresearched on consumer traits like shelf-life ers developing concepts for resilient cropscan tap. This quality makes faba beans aand taste as well. Once you add the rising thanks to their ability to improve soil andcrop that facilitates a high preciding cropcosts for fertilizer, pesticides and other resupply it by fixing nitrogen. In the EUvalue. They also improve the soil structurefarming resources to the mix, you reach for example, the amount of land used forwith their deep system of roots. As part ofone conclusion: Plant breeding is and has growing legumes rose by about 3% to 2.5cereal-rich crop rotation, faba beans disruptto be a real driver in facing agricultural million hectares for the 2021 harvest.infection chains and help prevent pathogenschallenges.Green bean varieties for fresh or pro- and weeds from developing resistance. FabaThe Magma Collection is now also tri-cessed consumption is the result of yearsbeans increase the biodiversity of agricul- aled and offered in other parts of the world of breeding research, tailored specificallytural landscapes.where customers are looking for the same for the climate conditions in the largestkind of product and farmers are facing sim-production regions in Europe, Africa andMagma Collectionbeat the heat! ilar growing challenges as on the U.S. east the U.S. Year-round availability of localTo further increase the strengths of proteincoast. This product development is a good grown beans has been put under pressureplants, which are then used as vegetables,example of how innovative plant breeding, in the last decade, particularly due to highKWS develops high-performance greensustainable farming and improved market-temperatures, which causes bean pod set- bean varieties that have been modified toing opportunities can successfully work ting to fail and consequently dramatacillymeet all sorts of regional conditions. Thetogether.EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 29'