W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co. KG

W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co. KG (commonly abbreviated WvB) is a German plant-breeding company headquartered in Leopoldshöhe, in the North Rhine-Westphalian district of Lippe. It was founded in 1849 by Wilhelm von Borries, described by the company as an outstanding farmer and gifted plant breeder. During the 19th and 20th centuries the firm became a byword for successful fodder-beet breeding; its varieties Eckdorot and Eckdogelb were pioneers that the company says were present on virtually every agricultural holding. In more recent decades WvB broadened its breeding work beyond fodder beet into oilseed rape, wheat and barley. It cooperated closely for many years with the Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht Hans-Georg Lembke KG (NPZ), which was already its long-standing majority shareholder. That relationship culminated in the integration of WvB into NPZ with effect from 1 July 2026, a step NPZ framed as a clear commitment to the Hovedissen site and to the existing breeding programmes. The WvB brand continues after the integration as a guarantee of innovative and high-performing cereal varieties, distributed through Saaten-Union. The company is therefore best understood as a long-established German seed-breeding house whose commercial identity now sits within the NPZ group while its variety brand remains active in the market.

W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1849 by Wilhelm von Borries, whom the company describes as an outstanding farmer and a gifted plant breeder. The firm is based in Leopoldshöhe in Germany, in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia. During the 19th and 20th centuries the company became a synonym for successful fodder-beet breeding. Its varieties Eckdorot and Eckdogelb were pioneers in this field and, according to the company, were found on virtually every agricultural holding of the era. This established WvB as a recognised name in German plant breeding. In later decades the company expanded its breeding activities to include oilseed rape, wheat and barley. Alongside this diversification, WvB developed a close, long-standing cooperation with the Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht Hans-Georg Lembke KG (NPZ), which also became its majority shareholder over the years. That relationship reached its logical conclusion when, with effect from 1 July 2026, W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co. KG was integrated into NPZ. NPZ described the move as a consistent continuation of its commitment to cereal breeding and as a clear statement of support for the Hovedissen site and the existing breeding programmes. The WvB brand was retained after the integration, continuing to stand for innovative and high-performing cereal varieties sold through Saaten-Union.

• 2026

  With effect from 1 July 2026, WvB is integrated into NPZ; the WvB brand continues for cereal varieties sold via Saaten-Union.

• 1849

  W. von Borries-Eckendorf founded by Wilhelm von Borries.

• 19th and 20th centuries: company becomes a synonym for successful fodder-beet breeding, with the pioneering varieties Eckdorot and Eckdogelb.

• Company expands breeding work into oilseed rape, wheat and barley and cooperates closely with NPZ.

A long-established German cereal and oilseed breeding house whose WvB brand stands for innovative, high-performing varieties, now integrated into the NPZ group and distributed through Saaten-Union.

• Eckdorot

  A pioneering fodder beet variety from WvB's historical breeding programme.

• Eckdogelb

  A pioneering fodder beet variety from WvB's historical breeding programme.

• Oilseed rape varieties

  Breeding work in oilseed rape carried out by WvB.

• Wheat varieties

  Wheat breeding, part of WvB's modern portfolio and continued under NPZ.

• Barley varieties

  Barley breeding, part of WvB's modern portfolio and continued under NPZ.

1. 1WvB Eckendorf official websitewvb-eckendorf.de
2. 2W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) on Wikidatawikidata.org