Expert interviews with breeders and other participants of the innovation system German winter wheat breeding system, carried out between 2016-2017, form the empirical basis for this article.

Yield is the sum of the individual traits of a variety, the cultivation method and the natural conditions. Biotic stress lowers the yield and the willingness of the German wheat breeding to innovate can be triggered by different measures. The demand for biotic-stress-tolerant varieties is currently triggered by the current pest pressure and the ability to use pesticides, for example the appearance of new yellow rust in 2014. Resistance breaks occur sooner or later, so there is always a need for breeding innovations. This ongoing demand can be satisfied, supported, channeled and accelerated by following measures: State basic research and research funding, use and promotion of biotechnology in Germany, minimum standards and stronger weighting for biotic traits in the approval by the Federal Office of Plant Varieties and the recommendation by the National Variety Trials, access to genetic resources, sufficient variability in the genetic pools of companies, exploitation of the breeder's privilege, an increase in the return on investment rate and cooperation between the breeding companies in Research and Development. These supporting measures can be used as adjustment device to protect yield through faster progress and reaction time in resistance breeding. In Germany, a further restriction of use and a lower number of new plant protection products are expected. Organic crop protection could be a further option in the future.