Vylor Confirms Breakthrough Wheat Technology Will Launch in 2027
Ahead of its planned separation on October 1, 2026, Corteva, Inc. has confirmed progress of the hybrid wheat technology platform of Vylor, its advanced seed and genetics spin-off, with the announcement of Xpedite™, the system used to create its proprietary hybrid wheat, which will launch in late 2027. Multi-year research trials demonstrate and confirm the hybrid wheat’s consistently strong yields as well as its yield stability, or resilience against a variety of adverse conditions including disease and drought.
The company anticipates that hybrid wheat will accelerate the growth of its North America wheat portfolio, resulting in $500 million in revenue by 2035 and $1 billion by 2040, which includes licensing revenue, making wheat the third pillar of Vylor’s business, alongside corn and soybeans.
“Wheat is grown on nearly 550 million acres globally and on more than 60 million acres in North America, making it the region’s third largest row crop. It is also, importantly, a critical source of food for hundreds of millions of people, accounting for 20% of calories consumed worldwide. These numbers give a sense of the scale of the impact our technology can have,” said future Vylor Chief Commercial and Operations Officer Judd O’Connor. “We’re excited to start working with farmers to help them grow more of this critical crop and help meet the needs of a growing global population.”
Hybrid seeds are created by crossing two genetically different parents to ultimately produce more resilient, higher yielding plants for farmers. Vylor’s hybrid wheat is built on a first-of-its kind system, proprietary and non-GMO; it increases yield potential by 10% while using the same amount of land and resources, is more resistant to drought – hybrid wheat created using Xpedite can yield up to 20% higher than elite varieties in water-stressed environments – and accelerates the speed to market of new elite germplasm by increasing the scale of parent seed production. As a product of conventional breeding, the hybrid wheat Vylor will launch in North America does not require regulatory approval.
Unlike other wheat hybridization systems that have been known for decades, Vylor’s proprietary technology has been shown in trials to work in 100% of wheat germplasm tested – enabling more rapid genetic gains and delivery of seed at a commercial scale. The company expects its hybrid wheat technology will, when compared to conventional wheat, double the rate of annual genetic gain by 2040.
Vylor’s hybrid wheat delivers grain meeting the same quality standards as varietal wheat and requires no special equipment or management, allowing farmers to maintain their current farming practices. The company will launch Hard Red Winter wheat in 2027 in North America, and expect to add Soft Red Winter in 2029 and Hard Red Spring in 2030 while also expanding to other regions around the world via the company’s branded business as well as through licensing and other partnerships, including acquisitions.
Click here to watch the Vylor video about the science of hybrid wheat.