OCTOBER 2026 | SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE I SEED WORLD EUROPE I 69 W alking through farmers’ fields this summer brought the multiple challenges facing growers into sharp focus. Across western and much of central Europe, prolonged heatwaves and water deficits hit summer crops hard. At EU level, forecasts for some summer crops fell as much as 14% below (see footnote) the five-year average. At the same time, disease and pest pressures continue to intensify, sometimes made worse by climate change. To help farmers overcome those challenges, breeders need to develop high-yielding varieties able to withstand multiple threats. And as the pace of change accelerates, they also need to do it faster. Using all the tools available in the breeding toolbox and combining different technologies has become essential. In that regard, genome editing opens new possibilities. INNOVATION REQUIRES A SUPPORTIVE EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK On 17 June 2026, the European Parliament gave final approval to new EU rules for plants developed with new genomic techniques (NGTs). This provides a clear framework for the seed sector, which will apply from 17 July 2028. Long-term research and related investments can now be planned with more certainty. It gives companies visibility to acquire, develop or co-develop, including through partnerships, the set of knowledge and tech nologies necessary to guarantee their technological freedom to operate. GENOME EDITING EXPANDS THE BREEDER'S TOOLBOX Conventional breeding remains the foundation for building a balanced, high-yielding variety. Editing adds precision to specific traits and can shorten the time needed to introduce them com pared with conventional breeding. In particular, it provides more genetic options against viral and fungal diseases at a time when the crop protection toolbox is shrinking. Genome editing can therefore help breeders deliver useful traits more quickly, while giving growers additional options to manage risks in the field. “Genome editing enables us to build on the strengths of varieties and hybrids developed by breeding, accelerating the translation of research into tangible benefits for farmers. A grower does not plant a technology but a variety that needs to perform and help him to overcome the challenges in the field.” - Jean-Philippe Pichon, Head of Traits Research, Limagrain. We have already seen what genetic resistance can deliver through conventional breeding. Take Turnip yellows virus. It can cut oilseed rape yields by up to 30%, and often without obvious symptoms. Limagrain’s first TuYV-resistant varieties reached the market in 2014, and LG Brand now leads Winter Oilseed Rape in Europe thanks to it. From there, more resistance traits have followed. PARTNER CONTENT Let’s face it, that work took years. The lesson is not that editing replaces that work. It is that some of the same breeding objectives can be reached faster. Ultimately, our editing work starts with the same question: what challenges are our farmers facing and how can we provide a solution? The aim is to bring useful solutions to more crops, sooner. Genome editing will still take time to deliver impactful products, but the clear framework now in place gives breeders greater confidence to move forward. “Breeders have done a great job at delivering improved varieties for many traits, but this takes time. Editing does not change our goal. It opens new possibilities for some traits, par ticularly for disease resistance, and can reduce the time needed to deliver solutions to growers.” - Jean-Bruno Beaufumé, Global Head of Research for Limagrain Field Seeds. No single breeding tool will answer every challenge. Growers need choice. Breeders need the full set of tools to deliver that choice. At Limagrain, that pressure is even more direct: the cooperative is owned by farmers facing those same pressures in their own fields. That ownership does not change the science, but it keeps the question close to the field: what problem needs solving next? Every year saved in breeding is a year growers do not have to wait for an answer. Breeding Against the Clock FIELD CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING FASTER THAN EVER. GENOME EDITING GIVES BREEDERS AN ADDITIONAL TOOL TO DEVELOP HIGH-PERFORMING VARIETIES THAT CAN BETTER WITHSTAND EVOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. BY: MICHELLE CORNU, GLOBAL BRANDING & COMMUNICATIONS LEAD, LIMAGRAIN FIELD SEEDS Footnote: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, JRC MARS Bulletin, 24 August 2026. Persistent heat and water deficits affected western and much of central Europe; EU forecasts for summer crops fell to as much as 14% below the five-year average. Limagrain is using conventional breeding and genome editing to develop high- performing varieties that can better withstand changing environmental conditions, disease and pest pressures.
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