IRRI scientists introduce Speed Breeding 3.0 to accelerate climate-resilient crop innovation with OneCGIAR 

By Pramod Gorakhanath Kabade, Uma Maheshwar Singh, Pallavi Sinha, Vikas Kumar Singh, et al. 

Building on the success of pioneering protocols such as SpeedFlower, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently introduced Speed Breeding 3.0, a more comprehensive, inclusive, and adaptable framework designed for all crops, regardless of their growth cycle. This advanced strategy represents a critical initiative in support of OneCGIAR’s overarching goal to unify capabilities, knowledge, and resources, delivering more relevant, impactful, and integrated science to address climate change and ensure global food security.

Outlined in the newly published manuscript “Speed Breeding 3.0: Mainstreaming Light-Driven Plant Breeding for Sustainable Genetic Gains,” in Trends in Biotechnology Journal (IF:14.3), the protocol surpasses the limitations of earlier approaches (Speed Breeding 1.0 and 2.0).

The core of Speed Breeding 3.0: precision, acceleration, and democratizing innovation

Speed Breeding 3.0 leverages advanced photobiological tools to precisely control environmental parameters, including light spectrum, intensity, photoperiod, temperature, and hormonal regulation. This meticulous control allows for accelerated plant growth and development, enabling breeders to achieve up to six crop generations per year in vital crops like wheat, rice, and barley. This is a significant increase over the one or two cycles typically achieved through conventional methods.