Corteva bets big on hybrid wheat for India to unlock land for biofuels, oilseeds

Corteva is on track for 5 per cent net sales growth globally in 2025.

US agritech major Corteva Agriscience is investing in developing hybrid wheat varieties specifically tailored for Indian conditions, with commercial seeds expected to be available in 10-15 years, a top company official said.

The technology could help boost wheat production per acre and free up farmland for other strategic crops like corn for ethanol and mustard for edible oil and sustainable aviation fuel, Brook Cunningham, President of Corteva's Asia Pacific operations, told PTI in an interview.

"We announced a new sterility system for hybrid wheat at our investor day a year ago and have started investing in India-specific germplasm," Cunningham said during her visit to India, calling the country a "top priority" for the technology.
"Hybrid wheat is a 25-year journey globally to scale, but we've started investing in localised germplasm for Indian conditions as a top priority," she said.

Cunningham, who assumed her current role in June and sits on Corteva's global executive leadership team, said India is at an "inflection point to feed and fuel the world" given its self-sufficiency in rice and wheat and export potential in fruits, vegetables, corn and sustainable aviation fuels.

With another 2 billion people expected globally over the next 25 years, plus challenges from climate change and pest resistance, "technology is the only way India achieves food security and export ambitions amid climate impacts," Cunningham said.

"Our seed, crop protection, and biologicals give farmers tools to maximise every hectare- directly aligning with goals," she added.

Corteva has achieved 12 per cent compound annual growth in India while maintaining focus on accessibility for the country's 150 million small farmers, most farming under two hectares.

"It's a win-win - investments from discovery and R&D model incremental value shared across farmers, value chain, and Corteva," Cunningham explained.

"The 'pie' of benefits, such as yield gains, is divided so all parties gain; without that, the math doesn't work for growers or us. This ensures profitability and accessibility." The company's technologies boost yields for smallholder farmers by 15-20 per cent on average on their typical 0.3 hectare farms, with some innovations delivering income gains of 20-30 percent, she said.

"We must keep delivering efficiently, partnering for mutual benefits: growth for shareholders, needs for farmers, ambitions for government," Cunningham said.

The former investment banker joined Corteva in late 2022 after 15 years in investment banking, drawn by agriculture's impact potential, particularly in markets with smallholder farmers.

Corteva, which has operated in India since 1972, runs two major research hubs in Telangana and invests about USD 1.4 billion annually in R&D globally, roughly 8 per cent of revenue.

Cunningham declined to share specific investment figures for India or the hybrid wheat programme.

Beyond wheat, the company is seeing strong opportunities in corn, where acreage is expected to grow 15 per cent in the next two years due to ethanol and protein demand. New rainy corn hybrids are expected soon, she said.

Corteva launched Clearfield mustard hybrids in India this year and plans to scale them over the next several years.

In rice, where hybridisation remains in single digits in India, Cunningham sees "huge opportunity for yield gains" with the company bringing its best global technology to the country.

The company offers crop protection solutions, including traditional chemistry and biologicals to combat resistance, and is using artificial intelligence to speed up the development of new technologies.

Corteva is on track for 5 per cent net sales growth globally in 2025.