Growing into the future

Wheat – one of the most important food staples and the crop using the largest area of farmland. The production of this cereal increases by one percent per year, whereas the worldwide demand for wheat doubles during the same period. Investments have to be made into research of herbicides and seed to ensure and improve feeding the global population.

CropScience, a Bayer subsidiary, has opened the “European Wheat Cultivation Center” in Gatersleben (Saxony-Anhalt). The ideal climate, the excellent soil quality and the infrastructure were the determining factors for selecting this site. New and high-quality types of wheat will be developed here in future. In light of the ongoing climate change, one of the targets is to create stress-tolerant plants. An Additional objective is to safeguard the yields as well as the quality of conventional cultures. From now on 40 employees work in greenhouses and laboratories in a area of approximately 1,400 square meters.

All activities concerning the cultivation of wheat by Bayer in Europe will be coordinated in Gatersleben and a network with other research facilities will be set up. Additional Bayer research centers are planned in Europe and Australia, along with sites in Asia and Latin America.

Opinions concerning this project will certainly be exchanged at the DLG-Feldtagen at which gruuna will also be represented on 19 June 2012. We look forward to meeting you there.