Research & Development at MAS Seeds®

For over 75 years, MAS Seeds® has been collaborating with farmers to develop high-yield, durable hybrids that respond to changing weather patterns and farmers’ needs. Each seed variety has a decade of research, development and innovation behind it. As a result, our track record has made us a trusted, sustainable partner for farmers across 50 countries. We create hybrids that deliver high and secure top yields and help farmers adapt to a changing climate through the development of disease-tolerant, drought-proof, high-nutrient hybrids.

Three main research programmes

MAIZE

  • Very early to late leafy & digestible silage​
  • Very early to late grain​
  • Tropical maize​

SUNFLOWERS

  • Very early to late sunflower​s
  • Tolerance to herbicides
  • Linoleic & high-oleic varieties
  • Broomrape, mildew and black rust tolerance​

AGRO-ECOLOGY and crops for diversification

  • Product development for cover crops, forage mixtures, soybeans, lucerne, winter oilseed rape and sorghum
  • Agroecology solutions, such as mix cropping, relay cropping and intercropping

Breeding for agricultural sustainability

Providing an innovative and sustainable seed portfolio is one of our major goals at MAS Seeds®, so that we can positively impact agriculture and provide sustainable solutions for the world of today and tomorrow. New constraints are making farmers’ work more complex. Researchers have been anticipating these changes for many years, and are continuously trying to improve the seeds we offer. To this end, creating sustainable hybrids is at the top of our priorities:

  • Enhanced genetic tolerance against water scarcity
  • Genetic tolerance against increasing pressure from diseases
  • Securing feed efficiency in changing climate
  • Yield stability and adaptation to climate change and regional conditions

Modern breeding methods to increase genetic gains and resilience to climate change

By carefully selecting and combining traits through crossbreeding and marker-assisted genomic selection, using environmental typing and data-driven research, we aim to create improved hybrids that contribute to sustainable agriculture and effectively address the evolving challenges faced by farmers.

Genomic analysis of extracted plant material

MARKER-ASSISTED GENOMIC SELECTION

With the help of molecular genetic markers, we select only plants with the desired characteristics for our breeding programmes. This helps us to increase genetic gains of complex traits per unit time and cost. We use genomic data to estimate the genetic potential of lines or hybrids. This information helps identify genetic material more accurately and at an earlier stage of development, making our breeding process quicker, more precise and more efficient.

DATA-DRIVEN RESEARCH

We apply high-end genotyping methods to all our crops to develop the best varieties for you. We develop predictive breeding technologies in partnership with NSIP, in order to bring genetic innovation to the global market faster and more precisely, by leveraging advanced technologies and data analysis to forecast the performance of potential crosses before we even test them in the field. In this way, we can test combinations that are more likely to produce superior hybrids, thus increasing breeding efficiency and speed.

ENVIRONMENTAL TYPING

We include a comprehensive assessment of agro-climatic scenarios and models when making breeding decisions and hybrid positioning as part of our variety development. This method allows us to identify the growing environment, including factors like soil type, temperature, moisture and other variables, to ascertain how these conditions influence the performance of a variety. By systematically analysing the interactions between the genotype and the environment, we can create resilient and adaptable varieties, contributing to sustainable agriculture in diverse and variable environments

Sunflower cross-fertilisation in the greenhouse

CROSSBREEDING

Crossbreeding or cross-fertilisation using pollen is the world’s oldest breeding method, dating back to Mesopotamia, the beginning of modern agriculture. It involves the intentional blending of genetic material from two distinct parent plants to create offspring with desired traits. This long process allows us to enhance specific characteristics, such as increased yield, resistance to pests or adaptability to diverse environments.

Sunflower parental line backcrossing

PARENTAL LINE CREATION

Parental line creation is the systematic development of stable and genetically uniform lines through successive generations. Breeders carefully self-pollinate (fertilise plants with their own pollen and isolate them) lines with desired traits to maintain genetic uniformity. Repeated cycles of self-pollination and selection can span five to ten years. The resulting parental lines serve as the basis for hybrid creation, in order to ultimately create improved plant varieties with consistent and desirable features.

Maize with controlled cross-fertilisation

HYBRID CREATION

In hybrid breeding, two genetically distinct parent lines are cross-pollinated to capitalise on the heterosis effect, where the hybrid exhibits superior traits compared to its parents. Breeders carefully select parent lines with complementary characteristics, preventing self-pollination to ensure controlled fertilisation. The resulting hybrids demonstrate increased vigour, yields or resilience, making hybrid breeding a crucial method for developing plant varieties with enhanced performance and productivity.

Key genetic innovations to face environmental challenges

WATERLOCK labelled grain maize hybrids offer a superior ability to thrive under drought conditions.

GREEN+ silage maize varieties secure the quality of silage with respect to climate change, thanks to their genetic ability to delay the evolution of dry matter in leaves and stems and thus extend photosynthesis.

HELIOSMART varieties have the highest genetic tolerance to three main diseases that affect sunflowers (mildew, sclerotinia and verticillium) and thus secure the yield.

SAFETY+ winter oilseed rape hybrids safeguard yields in cold climates thanks to their increased resilience early in their life cycle and strong development before winter.

Research locations

MAS Seeds® has ten R&D stations across Europe, West Africa and Central America, allowing us to test and select genetic material and their offspring that are adapted to a wide range of geographical conditions. Our research stations specialise in one or more crops, depending on their location. Winter generation is managed by our Mexican site.

HAUT-MAUCO, France
Maize hub
53 researchers

  • Laboratory & greenhouses
  • Trials
  • R&D for maize seeds: production and preparation
  • Managing maize parental lines

RHODON, France
Multi-crop hub
15 researchers

  • Phenotyping for intensive and agroecological markets.
  • Managing sunflower parental lines

HERRIEDEN, Germany
Silage maize station
9 researchers

  • Phenotyping of silage maize
  • Maize trials for Europe

BELCIUGATELE, France
Sunflower hub
15 researchers

  • R&D: seed production and preparation.
  • Sunflower trials for Europe

BORISPOL, Ukraine
Multi-crop station
8 researchers

  • Maize and sunflower characterisation for extensive market

KRASNODAR, Russia
Multi-crop station
4 researchers

  • Pre-commercial phenotyping station.

KALISZ, Poland
Maize station
3 researchers

  • Phenotyping of grain and silage maize

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico
Winter generation hub
7 researchers

  • Winter generation production of R&D maize and sunflower seeds®

QUERETARO, Mexico
Tropical maize station
5 researchers

  • Main station for tropical maize research and development.
  • Support for winter generation activities

AHOUATI, Ivory Coast
Tropical maize station
2 researchers

  • Pre-commercial phenotyping station for tropical maize

R&D key figures

10

R&D stations

in France, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Mexico and Ivory Coast. 1 bimolecular lab in Haut-Mauco, France. 3 winter generation sites in Mexico, Chile and Argentina

120

researchers, engineers and technicians

in the R&D department

Act Together For A Changing Agriculture

Learn more about MAS Seeds® mission