Kenny Piecharka said it's important to bring new innovations to the market. He said the fall rye hybrid has a higher yield advantage. (Bernard Tobin/RealAg)

WATCH: New generation of hybrid rye brings breeding innovation to the field

By RealAgriculture Jul 13, 2025 | 10:00 AM

By Bernard Tobin

This story was first published on RealAgriculture.com on July 7, 2025.

Back in the days of summer fallow, rye covered more than three million acres of cropland annually in Canada.

One of the reasons the crop lost its lustre is lack of innovation, but with the arrival of commercial hybrid rye a decade ago and the recent emergence of new hybrids from the plant breeding pipeline, more growers are going to take a shine to the crop.

Watch Kenny Piecharka on RealAg:

In this interview, Kenny Piecharka, country manager for KWS Seeds Canada, takes a look at a new fall rye hybrid that’s just emerging for his company’s research program and the impact of hybridization and breeding innovation.

It’s been 10 years since C&M Seeds launched Brasetto — the first hybrid fall rye — and now the Palmerston, Ont., based company is collaborating with KWS Seeds to commercialize a new hybrid named Inspirator.

Read more:

So, is it time for growers to take a fresh look at rye?

Piecharka said his company’s investment in plant breeding has produced a hybrid that can deliver more yield, flexibility and resilience to the farm. Trials show that it offers a 15 to 20 per cent yield advantage over winter wheat and a 35 to 45 percent advantage over conventional rye, with superior lodging and disease resistance.

Piecharka said rye thrives in sandy soils and is highly adaptable across geographies.

It has a deeper root system, scavenging water more efficiently and providing consistent yields. Compared to winter wheat, the seeding rate is much lower at a recommended 800,000 seeds per acre and careful nitrogen application and plant growth regulators are recommended to manage lodging in the much taller crop.

New hybrids boast much stronger stalks and higher lodging resistance thanks to the targeted efforts of plant breeders.

In the video, Piecharka also discusses marketing opportunities, including the distillery market, milling and baking, and a renewed focus on the value rye can bring to animal feed markets.

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