SEPTEMBER 2026  SEEDWORLD.COM /  19
can do fate analysis and we can look at 
historical data and run simulations and 
say this is how we predict this germplasm 
would have performed in these fields.”
The growing availability of data contin­
ues to strengthen those models.
“We have much more access to data 
than we've ever had,” she says. “Whether 
we're buying satellite data, taking our own 
UAV (drone) data or we're just inputting 
our standard automated mechanisms for 
collecting data, our ability to compute 
insane amounts of data is just rapidly 
increasing.”
The resulting breeding environment 
helps researchers evaluate possibilities, 
prioritize resources and advance genetics.
“We can simulate millions of scenar­
ios, climate scenarios, and then we can 
directly connect that to the genetics that 
we're putting in the field,” Honold says.
Breeding for a Changing 
Environment
Modern plant breeders aren’t simply 
chasing higher yields. They are working 
to develop crops that can withstand shift­
ing disease pressures, changing weather 
patterns and new environmental realities.
“We see the effects of climate 
change,” Honold says. “We see the pat­
terns with all this data we're collecting.”
Those observations are pushing 
breeders to place greater emphasis on 
resilience alongside productivity.
For Honold, that work often conflicts 
with public perception.
“I think some people feel like we’re 
working against nature and we're really 
working with nature,” she says.
She says the goal is to help drive sus­
tainable practices while breeding environ­
mentally adaptable crops.
“We want to create crops that are 
resilient to climate change,” she adds.
She believes many people underesti­
mate challenges growers face.
“How hard it is to run a business and to 
be a farmer with all of these variables that 
they have to work with — I think it's really 
shortchanged,” Honold says.
Looking Beyond the Seed
The conversation around innovation is also 
expanding beyond individual products.
For decades, success often centered 
on delivering the next better hybrid or 
variety. Today, companies increasingly 
evaluate how genetics fit within broader 
farming systems.
“I think we’re being much more delib­
erate about systems as well,” Honold says.
That means considering crop rotations 
and cover crops to biofuels, soil health 
and digital management tools.
“We’re thinking about the whole 
system,” she says. “When are they plant­
ing corn? When are they growing soy? 
When can they use a cover crop and all 
the components in it?”
The industry no longer measures suc­
cess by a single hybrid or variety.
“It’s not just, here's the best corn we 
can give you,” Honold says. “Instead we 
ask what makes sense for the whole 
system.”
That systems-focused mindset is 
increasingly important as the seed sector 
tries to improve efficiency, create revenue 
streams and support sustainability.
The Next Genetic Gain Curve
Many breeders use the term genetic 
gain to describe the steady improve­
ment in crop performance over time. 
Every increase in yield potential, disease 
resistance, stress tolerance or agronomic 
performance reflects that progress.
Predictive breeding, larger datasets, 
digital modeling and gene editing are 
allowing researchers to evaluate more 
variation, make better decisions and move 
promising genetics through the pipeline.
With gene editing and increasingly 
sophisticated predictive tools, Honold 
expects breeders to access a broader 
pool of genetic variation and identify 
high-performing combinations more effi­
ciently than ever before.
“With gene editing [the rate of genetic 
gain is] only going to increase, with more 
rapid mechanisms to sample a much 
greater pool of variation,” she says.
For growers facing tighter margins, 
changing weather patterns and increasing 
production challenges, faster innovation 
could translate into better options and 
more resilient cropping systems.
“I think it's really going to benefit the 
farmer,” Honold says, “because they’re 
going to see innovation much faster.” SW
Julia Honold, Bayer North America breeding lead, rides in a combine during harvest. 
Honold says advances in AI, predictive breeding and gene editing are helping 
breeders accelerate genetic gain while developing crops that can perform in 
increasingly complex production environments. PHOTO: JULIA HONOLD

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