Develop international and public-private partnerships to expand access to global gene banks and genomic platforms.
This objective aims to strengthen collaboration with global research entities and industry partners to improve access to elite germplasm, genomic tools, and advanced breeding technologies.
To strengthen breeding capacity and innovation, the Wheat Breeding Platform (WBP) has pursued strategic collaborations across both public and private sectors. Key engagements included active participation in events such as the SAPBA Symposium, SANSOR Congress, and Combined Congress, where researchers received recognition and contributed to national dialogue through awards and committee roles.
SAPBA Symposium
SANSOR Congress
Combined Congress
International cooperation has been advanced through collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), which provided elite germplasm from its global spring wheat programme for local testing and evaluation. This directly enhances access to valuable international genetic resources.
The platform also expanded private-sector engagement. Discussions led by Grain SA with BioCeres explored the potential integration of heat and drought tolerance traits into local breeding pipelines. Meanwhile, the Wheat Breeding and Crossing Programme distributed MS-MARS evaluation nurseries to institutions including Syngenta, Corteva, and ARC-SG, enabling shared evaluation and application of advanced selection tools. These partnerships continue to strengthen South Africa’s access to global resources and drive forward collaborative wheat improvement.