Speed Breeding: Accelerating Plant Breeding For Faster Varietal Generation :
Speed breeding is an innovative technique that accelerates the generation of new plant varieties by manipulating environmental factors for rapid plant growth. By creating optimal growth conditions through extended light exposure, controlled temperature, and humidity, plants experience faster growth and shorter generation times. This technique is beneficial for crops with long breeding cycles like wheat, barley, rice, and other cereals, as well as crops with shorter breeding times.Speed breeding enables rapid selection of desirable traits such as disease resistance, improved yield, and enhanced nutrition.
It also aids in plant genetics research and genetic modification evaluation. With its potential to expedite breeding programs, speed breeding contributes to food security, addressing challenges such as climate change and population growth through the development of improved crop varieties.
Nexsel has dedicated over 5 years to the development of speed breeding solutions. Collaborating with plant breeders and seed companies, we have successfully designed and implemented speed breeding methodologies for a wide range of crops. To support our research endeavours, we have established an in-house facility that expedites our progress.
Over the past 5 years, we have conducted speed breeding trials on more than 12 different crops, yielding remarkable outcomes:
Wheat: Achieving 5 to 6 cycles per year.
Cotton: Attaining boll opening at 94 days.
Mustard: Facilitating 3 cycles per year.
Okra: Demonstrating cycle time reduction of up to 60%.
In our quest for effective speed breeding solutions,we recognize the critical importance of the following 8 parameters:
1. Temperature
2. Humidity
3. CO2 levels
4. Light spectrum
5. Light intensity
6. Lighting photoperiod
7. Nutrient management
8. Airflow
By meticulously managing these parameters, we optimize plant growth and development, thereby accelerating the breeding process and achieving exceptional results