Global collaboration aims to make hybrid soybeans more affordable

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), in partnership with Bayer, KWS, and the United Soybean Board, is providing a $4.05 million grant to the ApoSoy project, an international initiative focused on developing lower-cost hybrid soybeans. The goal is to improve yield, reduce production costs, and increase profitability for soybean farmers worldwide.

Hybrid seeds offer higher yields than conventional varieties, but producing them is labor-intensive, particularly in self-pollinating crops like soybeans. The ApoSoy project seeks to overcome these challenges using apomixis, a process that enables seeds to become genetic clones of the parent, preserving hybrid advantages without repeated cross-pollination.

“The creation of consistently high-yielding soybeans at lower prices will benefit farmers in the U.S. and globally, offering a versatile and widely consumed crop,” said Dr. Kathy Munkvold, FFAR scientific program director.

The initiative brings together leading research institutions, including the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, University of Regensburg, Radboud University, University of Georgia, Wageningen University & Research, Whitehead Institute, and University of Zurich. Researchers are applying apomixis technologies from model plants to soybeans, exploring developmental pathways to achieve efficient asexual reproduction in legumes.

JD Rossouw, breeding lead at Bayer Crop Science, emphasised the value of collaboration: “Partnering across organisations helps generate innovative solutions, shaping the agriculture of tomorrow while addressing real-world challenges for farmers.”

By combining advanced plant biology, international expertise, and applied agricultural science, the ApoSoy project aims to transform soybean breeding, providing a scalable solution that maintains hybrid performance across generations and reduces the cost and complexity of hybrid seed production.

Discover how ApoSoy could redefine hybrid seed production and boost global soybean yields.