Speeding Up the Wheat Breeding Cycle: How Speed Breeding Could Bring Better Varieties to Farmers Faster
Farmers Magazine | 12.08.2026 15:17
Developing a new wheat variety is a long process that requires breeders to grow plants, assess their characteristics, select the best performers and produce seed for another generation. A single generation of wheat can take about six months to grow, produce seed and be harvested under conventional conditions. When breeders need to repeat this process across several generations, developing a new variety can take many years. This lengthy process can delay the introduction of wheat varieties with improved yield, disease resistance, quality and adaptability. Researchers at ARC Small Grain are working to shorten this timeline through speed breeding technology, giving wheat breeders an opportunity to move through generations much faster.
