Continuous improvement in feed traits is critical to addressing mounting challenges across the agricultural supply chain, from the farm to the consumer. Enhancing nutritional value and sustainability in feed crops like corn, cereals, and oilseed rape can deliver significant benefits:
- Maximizing feeding value: Better feed traits improve livestock performance, reduce feed costs, and support animal health.
- Driving sustainability: Greater feed efficiency means less crop is needed to produce the same amount of animal protein – reducing waste, land use, and environmental impact.
AI-powered gene discovery
Under the agreement, Heritable Agriculture will apply its proprietary AI algorithms and multi-omic analysis to KWS’s genomic and phenotypic datasets. The goal: to identify gene targets that deliver measurable improvements in feed quality traits.
“Conventional breeding for these traits usually requires a 10-year timeline,” said Brad Zamft, CEO of Heritable Agriculture. “By leveraging AI gene discovery and gene editing, we anticipate commercial availability within five years.”
From prediction to impact
Heritable’s platform has already demonstrated high predictive accuracy in other crops, identifying novel genes for flowering time and taste within 14-18 months. For this partnership, the companies aim to pinpoint multiple genes with at least a 15% effect size. “This increase in the trait would be a game changer and would have a significant impact on farmers in KWS’s markets worldwide,” said Nadine Schumann, Research Scientist at KWS.
“If we can succeed at that, we will have once again demonstrated that our AI-driven, multi-omic gene discovery platform is world- class in target identification,” added Heritable’s CTO Tim Beissinger.
A new era for breeding?
The genes discovered will be applicable to both gene editing and marker-assisted selection, complementing KWS’s traditional breeding expertise. The company believes genome editing could shorten development timelines by 20-30%, accelerating the delivery of improved varieties to market – though with no global regulatory framework for new breeding methods, the company stresses the need to evaluate the final products of these methods in a nuanced way.
As global demand for sustainable livestock production grows, this collaboration aims to position Heritable Agriculture and KWS at the forefront of innovation – combining AI-driven insights with nearly two centuries of plant breeding experience.
“This collaboration validates our platform’s ability to translate complex multi-omics data into actionable biological insights,” Zamft said. “By applying our AI technology to KWS’s world-class germplasm, we aim to unlock new value for farmers and the broader agricultural supply chain.”
Dr. Thomas Ehrhardt, head of global research & services at KWS, added: “KWS is constantly exploring new technologies to deliver better varieties to our farmers. Heritable’s approach to discovering gene targets offers a promising avenue to enhance the feeding value of our feed crops portfolio. We look forward to the results of this study and the potential it holds for our breeding programmes.”
