As the agri-food industry increasingly demands responsible sourcing, MAS Seeds® is fully committed to creating a seed catalogue rooted in regenerative agriculture, supported by advanced varietal research and sustainable production practices. This approach ensures long-term sustainability by promoting soil health, optimizing resource use, and reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural practices, thereby benefiting both farmers and the entire agri-food value chain.
Varietal Innovation and Crop Diversification
With a heavy focus on R&D, MAS Seeds® is developing high-performing, resilient and stable corn and sunflower varieties, adapted to the challenges of climate change. Labels such as WATERLOCK and GREEN+ corn varieties, adapted to perform well under water stress condition, and HelioSMART sunflower varieties, boasting an excellent tolerance to major diseases, stemmed from these efforts. Breeders are also focusing on earlier-maturing corn cycles, allowing them to plant cover crops — one of the foundations of regenerative agriculture.
By integrating cover crops into rotations, farmers not only improve soil structure and biodiversity but also reduce their reliance on synthetic inputs. The MAS4 portfolio of cover crops and forage mixtures is specifically designed to seamlessly integrate into corn and sunflower rotations. Rigorous testing ensures their performance in winter biomass production, adaptability to diverse conditions, improving disposability and enabling a smooth transition to the next crop.
To further support regenerative practices, MAS Seeds® is also developing complementary crops such as oilseed rape, alfalfa, soybean, and sorghum to promote rotation diversification — another cornerstone of regenerative agriculture.
Transitioning to Regenerative Seed Production
Varietal innovation alone isn’t enough to drive regenerative agriculture forward. That’s why MAS Seeds® combines its crop research with efforts to change seed production practices.
In 2024, MAS Seeds® launched a sustainable seed production program centred on regenerative agriculture, starting with 10 pilot farms. The goal was to define farming practices that produce seeds with low carbon emission, while preserving soil health and maintaining productivity and profitability.
“Trials during the first year focused on soil management strategies, including legume-based cover crops, optimized nitrogen fertilization, green manure incorporation, and advanced soil cultivation techniques. The results were promising: a 14% reduction in CO₂ emissions, coupled with a profit of €89/ha for farmers, while maintaining stable yields,” explains Camille Paquier, Agroecological Transition Manager at MAS Seeds®.
The pilot farms aim to test and validate regenerative seed production techniques, with plans to deploy them across the entire production network. Building on these pilot farm trials, the company has established a regenerative agriculture seed production framework, in collaboration with renewed partners in the domain. This structured approach supports farmers through a gradual transition, targeting the entire French production network and committing all of them to regenerative agriculture practices by 2028.
Supporting Farmers with a Comprehensive Regenerative Agriculture Offer
In 2024, assessments across the French production network identified farmers who are already transitioning to regenerative practices. As a result, MAS Seeds® is proud to offer its first array of “REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE” seeds starting from this campaign, shown by a label on the bag.
“By combining regenerative seed production with a tailored portfolio that increase resilience of crops, enhances rotation around corn and sunflower and incorporate cover crops, we provide farmers and distributors with the tools to build sustainable supply chains. These solutions address the agri-food industry’s increasing demand for responsible sourcing,” concludes François Harambat, Head of Marketing and Sustainable Agriculture at MAS Seeds®.
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