Jon Rich is a legacy wheat breeder with a strong family background in the wheat seed industry. On this episode, Jon shares with Aaron his perspectives on a wide range of topics including wheat breeding technology, water issues, wheat’s role in crop rotations and wheat with specialized traits. He also updates us on the latest with hybrid wheat and talks about his hopes for the next generation of wheat breeders.
AgriPro Wheat website
(00:00:03) Welcome to the podcast.
(00:00:22) Jon Rich is introduced, with details about his background and family.
(00:00:57) Jon shares how his passion for agriculture started with his grandparents' farm and his father's work as a wheat breeder.
(00:02:14) He credits his mother for instilling tenacity in him, which is crucial in plant breeding.
(00:02:36) Jon discusses his mentors, including Joe Martin, Rollie Sears, and Harold Erickson, who taught him valuable lessons.
(00:06:13) Jon highlights AgriPro's history and transformation, becoming the largest private wheat breeding program in the US.
(00:07:46) He explains the collaboration between public and private breeding programs, sharing germplasm strategically to improve disease tolerance and yield.
(00:10:33) Jon emphasizes the proliferation of varieties, giving farmers more options to place different genetics on their farms.
(00:12:16) He discusses the benefits of having wheat in crop rotations, including soil health, weed resistance management, and cash flow.
(00:14:28) Jon talks about the potential of wheat yields, even in unstable climates, and the role of hybrid wheat in pushing yield boundaries.
(00:18:34) He addresses the scalability challenges of hybrid wheat production and what they have learned from their launch of spring wheat.
(00:22:30) Jon provides an update on AgriPro's hybrid wheat timeline, with significant spring wheat launches in 2025 and winter wheat following a year or two later.
(00:25:32) He explains the science behind hybrid wheat, including the complexities of maintaining male-sterile and restorer lines.
(00:29:15) Jon acknowledges the challenges of being a winter wheat breeder compared to spring wheat, due to the unpredictable growing conditions.
(00:32:20) He discusses the importance of consistency in wheat breeding, aiming for top-end yields while avoiding "one-hit wonders."
(00:33:58) Jon talks about balancing quality and yield in breeding, highlighting AgriPro's role in establishing the Platte program.
(00:37:15) He shares his thoughts on the potential of gene editing and GMO wheat, emphasizing the need to explore all available technologies.
(00:40:40) Jon expresses his passion for helping the next generation navigate the corporate world, focusing on people skills, adaptability, and tenacity.
(00:44:23) In closing, he encourages farmers to control what they can control and remain optimistic, praising the collaborative efforts in improving wheat genetics.