The last half-century years have brought enormous change on every front in every industry, and from its vantage point, the Bayer Research & Development station in Woodland, CA, has seen crop science respond to changes ranging from climate to labor and much in between.
The operation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it the company noted in a recent release, “From aggressive diseases and pest pressures to climate shifts, labor shortages, and evolving consumer preferences, growers are facing more and more challenges in their work to grow nutritious and great-tasting fruits and vegetables. Innovation is critical in helping growers overcome those obstacles and ensuring consumers have access to healthy foods. That’s why for 50 years Bayer’s Research & Development station in Woodland, CA, has been at the heart of driving that purposeful progress.”
Woodland will be celebrating its anniversary with employees, growers, and the community all year long. You can learn more about the Woodland Research Station – its history, the impact it has made, and the innovations it continues to drive forward – by visiting its anniversary web page here.
The facility, which was started by Petoseed in 1972, initially focused on developing tomato hybrids resistant to the fungal disease Alternaria stem canker, which was threatening to decimate tomato crops in San Diego County. The new hybrid was planted by area farmers and is credited with saving the area’s tomato industry.
After mergers and acquisitions, Bayer has transformed the research facility into a cutting-edge center for innovation, helping vegetable growers in California, the United States and around the world. Today, the Bayer site features 90,000 square feet of lab and research space in addition to 68 greenhouses, three germplasm houses and nearly 400 acres of fields for testing. Diverse, multidisciplinary teams of plant breeders, pathologists, cell biologists, data scientists, logistics experts and market development representatives work together to identify ways to improve plant health, advance sustainability, test best practices, and address on-farm challenges and consumer demands.
Onions are a major focus of Bayer and 150-year-old Seminis®, which is part of Vegetables by Bayer. Seminis, with its portfolio of unique, great-tasting vegetable varieties from around the globe, has dozens of onion varieties, and the http://onionexperience.com/tx-en/homepage/ shows results from yield demonstration of red, white and yellow Seminis and competitor short-day onion varieties conducted in Donna, TX, in 2019 and 2020. One hundred feet of each variety was harvested, sized, weighed and placed into 50lb bags. Individual results may vary, data presented are from a single trial at a single location. More onion info is posted at http://onionexperience.com/tx-en/breeding/, including equipment information at http://onionexperience.com/tx-en/automation-demos/.
“Our environment continues to change, both literally and figuratively, and growers have to navigate those changes quickly,” said J.D. Rossouw, Head of Vegetables R&D at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Our Woodland Research Station is a hub for innovation to help them do that. There, we are helping identify new disease-resistant hybrids, cutting-edge technologies, sustainable solutions, and best management practices that are helping growers in North America and around the world.”
“Woodland brings together the industry’s best to advance agriculture,” says Rossouw. “We test new technologies that help us capture real-time data about crops in the field. Our scientists research advanced genetics. We created the first Green Farm to test how the farmscape and biodiverse ecosystems can help farmers improve soil and plant health more sustainably. And our work with start-ups made us one of the first companies to test the benefits of planting cover crops in improving water management and controlling undesirable weeds.”
The Woodland site will continue to play a pioneering role in testing and implementing novel technologies in vegetable breeding and product development. One example of that commitment was Bayer’s recent establishment of an on-site incubator where start-ups can research and test their cutting-edge technologies. That helps Bayer advance products and solutions even faster.
The site hosts university students for internships and joint research projects. It also provides mentorship for local high school students, inviting them to learn about plant biology disciplines. In 2021, the company opened Baylab Woodland, the first Baylab community in the United States. “We are proud to be one of only 18 Baylabs in the world. We invite student groups to visit our STEM education center to learn about ag science in a hands-on environment, inspiring young people toward future careers in agriculture,” says Lisa McDaniel, Head of Sustainability and Engagement for Vegetables R&D.
