In plant breeding, the race to deliver better varieties faster is more intense than ever. Yet many breeding programs still rely on dated in-house systems — or even spreadsheets — to manage vast amounts of data.
According to two leaders in agricultural software, this approach is holding programs back.
“We’ve seen time and again that breeding programs underestimate the long-term demands of developing and maintaining their own software,” says Chris Leonard, president of Agronomix Software. “What starts as a tailored solution can quickly turn into a resource drain, with teams spending more time troubleshooting technology than advancing their breeding goals. I’ve spoken to breeders in large organizations who have waited years just to get a minimum viable product and then faced further delays when requesting enhancements to help them do their jobs better. It’s rare that in-house systems come in on time and under budget.”
Louis Gauthier, CEO of France-based Doriane, has seen similar stories unfold.
“Plant breeding software is not a static tool — it must evolve constantly to integrate new technologies, from genomic prediction to mobile data collection,” Gauthier explains. “Our clients tell us that staying ahead of these changes internally is simply unsustainable without a dedicated development team and deep industry expertise. Too often, in-house projects start with big ambitions but quickly run into limits in time, budget or technical skills.”
The Hidden Risks of Going It Alone
While homegrown systems may seem cost-effective at first, both Leonard and Gauthier point out the hidden costs: delays in implementing new features, data security concerns and dependency on a small number of developers.
“We’ve worked with clients who lost critical functionality overnight because the one developer who built their system left,” Leonard says. “In some cases, the cost of rebuilding or migrating data far exceeded what they would have spent on a specialist solution in the first place.”
Gauthier agrees, noting that this “key-person dependency” often isn’t considered until it’s too late:
“When you have only one or two people who truly understand the system, you’re taking a huge risk,” he says. “If they move on, retire or change roles, the organization is left with software it can’t fully use or support.”
The Excel Parallel
For many breeders, Excel remains the default tool for trial management and data analysis — a practice both CEOs see as limiting.
“Excel is great for certain tasks, but it wasn’t designed for large-scale breeding programs,” Gauthier says. “It can’t provide the integrated workflows, error checking, or scalability that modern breeding demands.”
Leonard adds, “The same mindset applies to in-house software. Just because you can build it doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient or sustainable choice.”
The Pace of Innovation
One of the biggest challenges for internal systems is keeping up with the pace of change in plant breeding technology.
“Features like genomic prediction, phenomics and AI-driven analytics — these aren’t add-ons you build once,” Leonard says. “They require ongoing research and development and the ability to adapt to new scientific methods and standards.”
Gauthier reinforces this point:
“At Doriane, we have entire teams working on innovation pipelines to bring these tools into production-ready software,” he says. “For a breeding organization trying to handle that internally, it’s a huge distraction from their core mission.”
Built by Specialists, For Specialists
What makes specialist providers like Agronomix and Doriane different, the two agree, is the combination of software engineering expertise and real-world breeding knowledge.
“We employ plant breeders, geneticists and data scientists who understand the challenges our clients face in the field and the lab,” Leonard says. “That insight is built into every update we release.”
Gauthier echoes this sentiment. “Our mission is to let breeders focus on breeding. By handling the complexity of the software, we free them to do what they do best — create better varieties, faster.”
A Shared Commitment to the Industry
While Agronomix and Doriane operate independently — and even compete in some markets — both leaders see value in sharing these insights.
“At the end of the day, our common goal is to help the industry move forward,” Leonard says. “If that means joining forces to raise awareness of the pitfalls of in-house development, we’re glad to do it.”
Gauthier agrees. “We may be competitors, but we face the same challenges and hear the same stories from clients. If we can use that knowledge to help breeding programs make better technology decisions, everyone benefits.”
Christopher Leonard is president of Agronomix Software Inc., a global provider of plant breeding and variety testing software and part of Cultura Technologies. Based in France, he has worked in the agrifood industry for nearly 30 years and has 17 years of experience leading Agronomix, with a focus on innovation, growth and supporting plant breeders worldwide. Leonard holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and innovation and is passionate about strengthening agriculture through data-driven decision-making.