OCTOBER 2026  |  SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE  I  SEED WORLD EUROPE   I   47
PARTNER CONTENT
At the same time, the harvest also 
demonstrated that genetics alone cannot 
compensate for every environmental 
stress. Prolonged heat and drought during 
flowering and seed development reduced 
pollination efficiency and seed formation 
in several species.
Interestingly, responses differed sig­
nificantly between crops. Species with 
naturally stronger tolerance to heat and 
drought often performed better, reinforc­
ing the growing interest in crops such as 
tall fescue, festulolium, alfalfa and red 
clover. As climate variability increases, 
these species may play a larger role in 
future forage systems across Europe.
THE FUTURE OF PLANT 
BREEDING
As production conditions become increas­
ingly variable, plant breeding priorities 
are evolving to place greater focus on 
resilience alongside productivity.
Maximum yield potential will always 
remain important. However, future suc­
cess will increasingly depend on devel­
oping varieties that combine productivity 
with yield stability and resilience across a 
wider range of environmental conditions.
At DLF, conventional plant breeding 
remains the foundation of variety devel­
opment. At the same time, advanced tech­
nologies such as genomic selection are 
helping breeders work more efficiently 
with the complex genetics of grasses, clo­
vers and alfalfa.
These tools enable earlier identifi­
cation of promising plant material and 
support the development of varieties 
with improved tolerance to drought, dis­
eases and other production challenges. 
New genomic technologies may further 
strengthen these efforts by providing 
deeper insight into the genetic mecha­
nisms behind key traits related to resil­
ience and resource efficiency.
The objective is not simply to breed 
crops that perform exceptionally well in 
one type of environment. The objective is 
to develop varieties that can deliver con­
sistent performance across the increas­
ingly diverse growing conditions that 
European agriculture faces.
ADAPTING TO A NEW 
PRODUCTION REALITY
The 2026 harvest confirms that resilience 
will be built through connected decisions 
rather than a single response. Where seed 
is multiplied, how supply is diversified and 
which traits plant breeders prioritise will 
increasingly need to reinforce one another.
For DLF, this means continuing to 
invest in strong customer partnerships, 
diversified production systems and plant 
breeding programmes that deliver both 
productivity and stability. Taken together, 
these efforts can help the industry manage 
greater variability while maintaining a 
reliable supply of the varieties customers 
need.
The geography of European seed pro­
duction may be changing, but the indus­
try is not simply reacting to that shift. By 
acting on the signals from recent seasons, 
it can help shape a more resilient produc­
tion base for the years ahead.
John Larsen, EVP Europe

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.