Innovative breeding research on novel grain crops at the HSWT
Plant-based products should make up a higher proportion of the German Agriculture sector's diet. Chickpeas, quinoa and buckwheat play an important role in this.
This is one reason for the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) to get into the field with its own breeding research into these novel grain crops. Prof Dr Klaus-Peter Wilbois from the Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition (LT) department at the Triesdorf campus talks about this with his department colleague Prof Dr Franziska Wespel as part of the Triesdorf Workshop Talks. She was appointed to the Breeding Novel Grain Crops research professorship via the Bavarian High-Tech Agenda.
What role do novel grain crops play in future food security, why are they moving more into the focus of breeding and where is your research focussed?
Our traditional crops are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change. In addition to adapting them, we could also cultivate species that are already being cultivated in regions with climatic conditions that could prevail here in the future: specifically, plants that are resistant to drought and heat, such as chickpeas. My research focuses on the screening of potentially suitable species and their further breeding development.
Which breeding approaches are particularly promising for adapting chickpeas, quinoa or buckwheat, for example, to Central European conditions?
Breeding must always take place where the varieties are grown. That is why it is important to test new grain crops directly in practical field cultivation in order to align the breeding objectives specifically to our local conditions.
To what extent can this contribute ecologically and nutritionally to the realisation of a climate-friendly diet - for example in the sense of the „Planetary Health Diet“?
New and previously little cultivated crops expand crop rotation and promote biodiversity in our fields. My particular focus is on protein crops that can help to integrate more plant proteins into the human diet. This has health benefits and can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land consumption.
What opportunities does the cultivation of new types of grain crops offer German Agriculture in terms of climate adaptation and crop rotation?
With new crops, the crop rotation can be significantly more diverse. Their different profiles enable a certain degree of risk diversification, particularly in the case of extreme weather events. At the same time, there is a risk that traditional crops will reach their limits due to climate change or new pathogens - then we need good, quickly adapted alternatives.
Where do you see the biggest obstacles to the cultivation and commercialisation of these crops in Germany and what can breeding do to overcome them?
There is a lack of varieties that deliver stable yields under Central European conditions. Only when the trade can plan with reliable quantities will targeted marketing be possible. This makes cultivation economically interesting and plannable for farmers.
What role do new genomic breeding techniques such as genome editing play in your work - and what are their limitations?
For most of these new crops, the first step is to make a fundamental adaptation to our conditions. However, many characteristics are influenced by several genes and cannot be achieved through the targeted editing of individual genes. In addition, the gene regions responsible for many of these crops have not yet been identified and must first be determined as part of research projects.
What should a future-oriented research and funding policy look like in order to realise the potential of novel grain crops for Agriculture?
Breeding needs time - and, above all, sound information in order to be able to define the right breeding objectives. Collaborative projects in which stakeholders work together along the entire value chain are particularly important: from breeding and cultivation to processing, distribution and consumption. Such projects should be funded over longer periods of time in order to achieve realistic results.
The interview was conducted by Prof Dr Klaus-Peter Wilbois in April 2025. A further interview as part of the Triesdorf Workshop Talks can be found here.
