Biotech leading to higher-yielding hybrid rice

BASF Plant Science and Bayer CropScience announced a long-term collaboration agreement to improve rice productivity through plant biotechnology. The companies aim to develop and commercialize hybrid rice seeds with traits enabling yield advances of 10 percent or more over conventional hybrid rice seeds. In this global, non-exclusive agreement, BASF Plant Science licenses yield-increasing technologies to Bayer CropScience for commercialization in Bayer CropScience’s Arize hybrid rice. The agreement encompasses all major rice growing geographies, with first products expected to be launched by 2020.

Within the scope of the agreement, BASF Plant Science is responsible for the research and development activities leading to the selection of higher-yielding rice traits, and for obtaining the regulatory approvals needed for commercialization. Bayer CropScience will integrate these higher-yielding traits into leading Arize rice hybrids. The companies will communicate and work closely with key rice stakeholders as the products near commercialization. The final products will be brought to farmers by Bayer CropScience. Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed.

”We are very happy to announce Bayer CropScience as our first partner in bringing higher yielding rice to farmers around the world,” said Marc Ehrhardt, Senior Vice President at BASF Plant Science. “BASF has a great portfolio of superior yield enhancing and stress tolerance genes that we have already screened in rice plants. With Bayer CropScience, we now have a partner with a strong market position and long-term experience on our side.” Read more...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.