GMO Technology

How A New Tool Will Redefine the Battle Against Soybean Cyst Nematode

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:11:58 GMT

Beneath healthy-looking soybean fields across the U.S., a microscopic thief quietly steals bushels—and billions of dollars—without farmers ever knowing it’s there. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has become the nation’s most destructive soybean pest, inflicting an estimated $1.5 billion in yield losses annually while typically leaving no obvious signs of distress above ground.

That was Michael and Dennis Gallagher’s experience with SCN on their west-central Iowa farm some years ago, after getting their first yield monitor in 1998. During harvest, Dennis saw soybean yields registering 55 to 60 bushels across the field on the monitor. Then, in one area of the same field, yield suddenly dropped into the mid‑30s — with no visible difference in the crop.

“Dad wasn’t surprised to see a few drops here and there, but not a 20-bushel one,” Michael recalls.

The unexplained drop pushed Dennis to pull soil samples. The test came back showing very high SCN egg counts — a " huge number,” Mike recalls, confirming soybean cyst nematode as the cause of the hidden loss.

“That was our aha moment,” Michael recalls. “I was only 7 years old at the time, but that made a big impression on me.”

A Fundamental Shift in SCN Management

Since that SCN discovery, the Gallaghers have incorporated the use of native traits — PI 88788 and Peking — in their soybean crops to counter the pest, along with rotating to corn.

Michael adds that they look forward to using a new solution for SCN on the way from BASF Agricultural Solutions, Nemasphere. It is the first-ever biotech trait designed specifically to address SCN and prevent soybean yield loss.

Nemasphere represents a fundamental industry shift in the battle against SCN, unlike traditional native resistance found in PI 88788 and Peking. Nemasphere is based on a transgenic trait—a Cry14 protein engineered directly into the soybean, says Hugo Borsari, BASF vice president of business management for seeds in North America.

The protein targets SCN the moment the pest feeds on developing roots, delivering up to a 60% reduction in SCN populations. The transgenic trait helps farmers capture significantly higher soybean yields compared to traditional varieties relying solely on native traits.

“We’re not just adding yield; we’re giving farmers access to the yield potential SCN has taken away,” says Borsari.

Yield Protection as a Game Changer

SCN often skims up to 30% of the soybean yield potential in infected fields. When considering what that loss represents in dollars, the impact is staggering, reports Greg Tylka, Iowa State University nematologist and professor.

“You want to make the most return on investment from your input costs, and then you got this microscopic, some people think imaginary, little critter that lives in the soil that’s kind of holding back your yield,” he says. “So the better you can manage SCN, the more you’re going to get out of your seed, your fertilizer, your herbicides, and so forth.”

Importantly, Nemasphere controls SCN before egg development. Female SCN remove roughly 30 times more nutrients from the plant than males due to the energy required for egg production. Blocking that production provides a direct hit on future SCN populations and an immediate protection of plant resources.

Because the new trait is expressed by the plant itself, the protection follows the roots as they grow, rather than staying confined to the seed zone.

“You’ll get season-long control all the way out to the growing tips of the root, which is extremely important, because we know SCN always wants to infest the growing parts of the root system,” says Mike McCarville, trait technology lead for BASF.

Do You Have SCN In Your Soybean Fields?

For farmers who don’t know whether they have SCN, Tylka recommends soil testing for them.

Another option to consider, he adds, is to think about whether your soybean yields are not increasing while your corn yields are.

“If you’re seeing your corn yields go steadily up while your soybeans are not, that’s often a key sign you have SCN,” Tylka notes.

More Than a Nematicide: A Comprehensive Package

While stopping SCN is the primary focus, Nemasphere is being developed as part of a broader yield protection package. The trait will be stacked with the Enlist E3 herbicide system and adds tolerance to mesotrione (HPPD chemistry), providing a residual pre-emergence herbicide option in soybeans.

McCarville sees the package as a way to tackle multiple yield-limiting factors simultaneously. “All of this is driving at growers being able to harvest more of the yield potential that our breeders deliver every year and get out of that stagnating yield position in soybeans,” he says.

USDA estimates the genetic gain in soybean varieties is roughly 1 bushel per acre per year, but SCN and other environmental stresses mean farmers often only see a fraction of that progress in their bins. “What’s actually harvested is somewhere between a quarter and a half of that potential that the breeders are delivering,” McCarville notes.

Along with helping farmers “recapture” existing soybean yield potential, the new trait helps shut down additional disease issues that can develop from the damage SCN causes. McCarville estimates that roughly a third of all soybean disease losses are tied to SCN in some way. Issues like seedling blights, Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), and brown stem rot can all become more frequent or more severe when SCN is present.

“SCN doesn’t just cause harm by itself,” he says. “It’s like the instigator at a party, encouraging everybody else to misbehave and cause problems. Both the incidence and severity of these other diseases are increased by SCN.”

Looking Ahead To 2028

With Nemasphere slated for a 2028 commercial release, the industry is looking toward a future where SCN is finally held in check.

McCarville says farmers interested in giving the new technology a hard look will have the opportunity in extensive field plots this year and will be testing the product in 2027.

For more information on the technology and where to see it at work, reach out to your local BASF representative or retailer.

Ag Tech News: Smart Farming Innovations Make Time Magazine List, Universities Advance Research

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 22:48:53 GMT

Illini looking at robotic weeders in row crops
University of Illinois writer Marianne Stein reports that agricultural robotics for mechanical weeding is an emerging technology, and a recently published study looks at the types of farmers and fields more likely to adopt weeding robots and at what stage of resistance development.

The study evaluated small, lightweight mechanical weeding robots for controlling common waterhemp in corn crops.

According to Stein, University of Illinois researchers examined the effect of two different types of weed management strategies: myopic management, which considers one year at a time, and forward-looking management, which accounts for future outcomes.

The researchers also considered weed seed density, weed resistance level, and economic thresholds that would trigger the adoption of robotic weeding.

You can read the full article here.

John Deere, Mississippi State University join forces on autonomous technology
Mississippi State Universities’ (MSU) Meg Henderson reports MSU is partnering with John Deere through a master research agreement, establishing a framework for the university’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute (AAI) to help develop technology to automate critical steps in the production of cotton and other crops.

Henderson writes that the partnership will help AAI advance its mission of attracting companies in the ag autonomy industry to Mississippi, creating options for research and startups, and developing and training a Mississippi-based ag autonomy workforce.

Read the full report here.

Monarch MKV electric tractor.

(Monarch Tractor)

Monarch MKV EV tractor drops below $30K, now EQIP eligible
Monarch’s MKV tractor, the world’s first 100% electric, driver-optional smart tractor is now available for as low as $26,200 depending on your region and EQIP eligibility, according to a recent email bulletin from the manufacturer.

The company says the now nationwide Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is currently offering over $8.4 billion over the next five years to farmers that adopt sustainable solutions to mitigate natural resource concerns. The MK-V tractor qualifies for this program, according to Monarch.

Follow this link to learn more and get in touch with Monarch to see if you’re eligible.

Three ag innovations named Time Magazine “Best Inventions of 2024”
Time Magazine publishes an annual list of products its editors deem the best technological breakthroughs of the year.

The 2024 list was released on October 30 and it highlights InnerPlant’s digital ecosystem, CropVoice , and Guardian Agriculture’s SC1 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) spray drone.

The list also honors Pivot Bio’s N-Ovator program as a top sustainability invention.

InnerPlant announced CropVoice this summer and we wrote about the startup’s $30 million Series B fund raise. The article includes a farmer perspective on why InnerPlant is such a remarkable technological breakthrough.

RELATED: Inside InnerPlant’s Farmer-Led Investment Run and Why It’s Better Than Traditional VC

CEO Shely Aronov discusssed the honor and CropVoice briefly in a recent Linkedin post. She can explain CropVoice better than we can:

“For the first time in agriculture’s 10,000-year history, CropVoice provides farmers with actionable data directly from plants, so they know exactly what crops need and when. This early detection system tied directly to plants’ physiological responses, enables farmers to take early action that will protect yields, decrease chemical use, and improve the resiliency of their farms.”

Guardian Agriculture’s SC1 is said to be the first eVTOL drone to receive FAA approval. According to the article “the fully autonomous vehicle carries up to 200 pounds of fertilizer or pesticides and uses on-board technology to precisely cover 60 acres per hour.”

Check out Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2024 list here.

New Topnet Live network service areas are available.

(Topcon Positioning Systems)

Topcon announces update to its corrections networks out west
Topcon Positioning Systems says it has made several regional additions to its reference station service, Topnet Live.

New service areas are available through expansion within California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Washington, with 180 full-wave geodetic reference stations added to the network.

Network corrections offer centimeter accuracy for high-end engineering, surveying, construction and agriculture measurement and guidance systems. This service is also utilized in many other markets, such as the turf industry, for automated mowing and input applications, line marking and imaging, as well as UAV operation for mapping and delivery.

Gene Editing Merger Focuses, Accelerates Trait Licensing

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 01:14:41 GMT

Cibus and Calyxt, which have been pioneering companies in the space of gene edited crops, will merge.

“Gene editing is the analog to digital moment for agriculture,” says Rory Riggs, co-founder of Cibus and newly named CEO of the merged company. “Gene editing is timebound and efficient. We can accomplish things with better accuracy and speed that is going to change the scale of breeding opportunities in which farmers can expect big changes in what’s possible in the next ten years.”

Riggs says the merger and the first products the new company will bring to market have the opportunity to cement the idea of a “real business” behind gene editing.

“Because of the advances in gene editing technology, it’s time for the industry to consider the ‘Productivity Trait Business’ as a natural competitor or counterpart to the ‘Crop Protection Chemical Business,’” he says.

The Cibus vision is to build a platform for every major crop to deliver Productivity Traits that address the major productivity challenges such pests, diseases and fertilizer using with genetics as opposed to chemicals.

The new company will focus on the five dominant global crops: corn, wheat, soybeans, rice and canola; that are planted on 500 million acres in North America, South America and the EU. Cibus’ Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS) will be the springboard in this product development.

“Our first traits are in canola and rice.” he says. “The first canola product is for pod shatter reduction. Cibus has received germplasm from 10 seed company customers for its patented pod shatter trait. In 2023 it will begin transfer to our customers in North America with the expectation of commercial launch in 2025 of our first “Cibus Powered” traits. In addition, in 2023, we are preparing to transfer two different herbicide resistance traits in rice in the elite germplasm of a leading North American rice seed company for commercialization”

Riggs says another advantage to its RTDS technologies it does not integrate any Foreign DNA/Transgene which is the hallmark of GMO. All three of its initial products have been determined not to be regulated articles through USDA APHIS “Am I Regulated” (now the SECURE Process) for regulating gene edited products. This designation materially speeds up time to develop and commercialize new traits.

The complementary platform Calyxt has developed is helping Cibus grow its second pillar of products: sustainable low carbon ingredients. These projects are focused on renewable low-carbon ingredients that can replace fossil fuel-based ingredients and diesel fuel and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Riggs says, “By the time this deal closes, we expect to have three major product announcements in the sustainability traits industry.”

He adds that in addition to highlighting what’s possible with gene editing, the combined business will also benefit from additional growth capacities now under one company umbrella. The new company’s corporate headquarters will be in San Diego, California and the company will use the Calyxt offices, laboratory, and breeding facilities in Roseville, Minnesota.

“We will be establishing one of the world’s most sophisticated facilities for trait development and next generation plant breeding,” he says.

Inside InnerPlant’s Farmer-Led Investment Run and Why It’s Better Than Traditional VC

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:34:02 GMT

InnerPlant, a seed technology startup with a transgenic, early stress alerting seed trait in soybeans, recently raised $30 million in Series B funding. About half of the funds came from a group of farmer-investors headed by Coutts Agro. Saskatchewan grain farmer Matt Coutts is Coutts Agro’s Chief Investment Officer.

How did InnerPlant set itself apart?

Coutts’ experience with InnerPlant thus far has been unique and a refreshing departure from the typical venture capital funding cycle, he says.

The company was not the least bit shy about trekking up to Canada’s vast western plains and putting boots-on-the-ground to breath the fresh prairie air and take in his operation to gather how the two could potentially work together. And, funny enough, it all literally got off the ground by Coutts filling out one of those online “Contact Us” forms.

That’s one lesson Coutts has picked up from his relationship with InnerPlant that he wants to share with other farmers: don’t be shy about going online, filling out those forms and throwing your hat in the ring if it seems like something that would be a good fit. It might seem like a futile exercise at the time, and that nobody will respond, but you’ll never truly know until you give it a go.

“We’ve trialed so many different products and met with so many different companies,” Coutts adds. “InnerPlant has shown us a much different level of dedication to farmers, at least that I see. Shelly and her entire team were engaged right from the start, coming up to the farm and delivering the pitch right here in one of our barns. It’s hard to find companies as farmer committed as InnerPlant.”

What did InnerPlant learn from working with farmer-investors?

For InnerPlant CEO Shely Aronov, her journey with Coutts and his group cemented a strong conviction in working with farmer-led investment groups over traditional venture capital firms. She believes the shift helped accelerate InnerPlant’s journey from startup to a “real company with customer-centric values.”

“We have the retailers and growers engaged, and we have a technology that is meaningful and moves the needle. Now we must work with farmers to get the point price right, because this is not the time for expensive products,” Aronov says.

Over the last handful of months, InnerPlant has undertaken a pilot program with Illinois-based retailer Growmark FS’ Sentinel Plots to ground truth its technology. Soon you will start to notice the company launching its futuristic seeds with select farms in Illinois and Iowa as it fires up its technology and starts to “scale up”.

“We’re building a team of agronomists and crop specialists in the Midwest right now to support the rollout,” Aronov says, noting its technology remains most effective “with the help of an agronomist.”

Another thing she has learned is if you want to be successful with ag tech, you need to be on the ground and connected to your potential customers.

“We have to train the trainers, and they have to train the farmers, and in order to make that happen, we need to be there alongside them,” Aronov adds.

Why are farmers attracted to InnerPlant?

InnerPlant soybeans emit different wavelengths of light if they are stressed, hinting at possible disease pressure in the field.

(InnerPlant)

“It gets us a data layer into our crops that we don’t have today,” Coutts says. “Being able to manage stress days and weeks ahead is a game changer. If you’re reacting to plant disease you can already see, you’re too late. Of course, you’re hoping that it’s not that bad, but at that point you are probably way behind the ball.”

Coutts and his family oversee 120,000-plus acres of productive, cereal-producing cropland in Saskatchewan, Canada. The group grows lentils, canola, and wheat.

Once a farmer hits that type of acreage level, technology must return profits rather quickly to be valuable, he says. The other side of the coin is, that type of acreage also paints a big, shiny red target on your back at many technology companies. They see that acreage and the little dollar signs start dancing around in their heads before they’ve even pulled up to the farmgate.

According to Ag Funder News, the rest of the funding outside of what Coutts Agro put in came from climate investor Systemiq Capital as well as Deere and Company and Bison Ventures.

What is InnerPlant technology?

InnerPlant’s seed traits signal plant stress – the signals will be able to be picked up optically by satellites once the seeds are widely distributed. For now, the company is using stationary detection towers to scan the invisibly fluorescing plants.

To get there a transgenic gene is edited, or inserted, into the soybean plant’s genome – like inserting a new line of code into a computer program. This enables optic scanners to see what our human eyes cannot: where stress is taking hold in a farmer’s field at a plant-by-plant level.

The plant data is then correlated to areas of the field via the companies’ new CropVoice software program and can pick up stressed plants within one or two days of the initial infection, Aronov adds.

Previous InnerPlant coverage:

InnerPlant - Tech That Visualizes Plant Stress - Names Germplasm Partner

GrowMark To Pilot InnerPlant’s Fluorescent Soybeans

Plants That Talk: Coming Soon To A Field Near You

University of Nebraska Professor Leads RNAi Research Targeting Western Corn Rootworm

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:38:45 GMT

Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) scientist Ana Maria Vélez is pioneering a genetic treatment to contain western corn rootworm . The research seeks to contain agricultural pests by targeting rootworm genes with RNAi technology.

According to UNL, western corn rootworm annually causes up to $2 billion in yield loss and control costs in the Corn Belt.

Vélez’ technique increases rootworm larvae mortality to protect the corn plant.

Vélez, an associate professor in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Department of Entomology, explained the research area in a recent presentation at North Carolina State University.

Vélez and graduate students in her lab are advancing the research in multiple ways. The researchers focus on small interfering RNA molecules derived from applied double-stranded RNA molecules. The interfering RNA molecules bind to targeted rootworm genes and prevent them from producing proteins that enable particular physiological functions.

Researchers are developing RNAi science to engineer crops for insect resistance traits or as a sprayable bioinsecticide for use in integrated pest management programs. Another research area is development of oral RNAi to control mosquitoes transmitting pathogens.

Vélez and her lab students, along with Lance Meinke, professor emeritus of entomology at Nebraska, pursue multiple projects in this area. They identify relevant rootworm genes, then study how the desired RNAi molecules enter a cell, are processed by it and move throughout the rootworm body. One project looks to identify the specific rootworm gene that guides larvae toward corn plant roots, which the larvae then attack.

Adding genetic techniques to the inventory of preventive actions against this crop threat has particular importance in light of corn rootworms’ extraordinary adaptive ability, Vélez said.

“They have evolved resistance in different locations to different kinds of pesticides, to Bt’s (proteins toxic to rootworms) and even to crop rotation,” she said, noting the insects have even learned to nest in nearby soybean plants to evade detection.

Considering that demonstrated resistance ability, it’s best to use multiple preventive methods against rootworms by incorporating RNAi, Bt proteins, insecticides and crop rotation, Vélez said.

SmartStax PRO, a genetically engineered corn seed using RNAi and Bt proteins to address the rootworm threat, became available in 2022 to U.S. producers and is seeing increased usage.

The rootworm’s resistance ability threatens over time to erode the efficacy of SmartStax PRO, according to the University. The increased resistance to Bt underscores the need to develop a comprehensive understanding of RNAi science regarding the pest.

EU Approval of NGTs Will Be a Vote in Favor of Sound Science

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 20:44:55 GMT

By Marco Pasti: Eraclea VE, Italy

The European Parliament has decided to give technology a chance—and that’s good news for farmers like me, as we struggle to grow food in a time of climate change.

Members voted last month to embrace the new science of plant breeding. They approved a measure that means many crops produced through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) could be treated under the law similar to conventional plants.

This is a vote in favor of sound science—and possibly a major break from the mistakes of the past when Europeans treated crop innovation with skepticism and even fear.

The decision holds the potential to help me grow more food and better food. Yet it’s only a first step. Political leaders, regulators, and the broader public must continue to make sensible choices about NGTs.

On my farm near Venice, I grow a variety of crops: corn, soybeans, wheat, and more. Just now, as we prepare for the spring, we’re pruning our walnuts and wine grapes and preparing our seed beds for sugar beets.

We strive for efficiency and sustainability, especially as we adapt to a changing and unpredictable climate. Our goal every year is to grow as much as possible, so that we can make a living as farmers and consumers can enjoy safe, genuine, affordable, and abundant food.

Yet rules and regulations have limited our access to the best technologies. When Europe restricted GMOs a generation ago, it removed our ability to plant crops that would help us boost our yields even as they reduced our reliance on inputs such as herbicides and pesticides. We fell behind our fellow farmers in North and South America and elsewhere.

Our corn harvests, for example, have declined. For at least two decades, we’ve grown 10 to 30 percent less food each year than the latest crop technologies otherwise would have allowed. To make matters worse, the quality of our food has suffered because our crops are less able to fight disease. We’re getting lower prices for what we do produce.

It’s impossible to calculate the losses with precision, but Italian consumers have spent billions of Euros more for their food than was necessary. Italy used to be self-sufficient for corn, but last year we imported 7 million tons of it.

This is not just an Italian problem, of course. The refusal to accept safe technologies has hurt consumers and farmers across Europe.

Farmers in France, Germany, and the Netherlands recently have engaged in massive protests, as they block roads and drive tractors into city centers. Most of the news coverage has focused on their concerns about taxes and regulations, but it has missed the larger story: This is ultimately about poor competitiveness, with its roots in the EU’s rejection of modern, science-based agricultural technology.

The European Parliament now has offered us a lifeline. Its vote last month accepted the recommendation of scientists and regulators and the Commission’s approval, making a little but significant step to exit the almost total eclipse of modern genetic tools in the EU farm sector.

The potential acceptance of NGTs means that in the near future on my farm, I’ll have a better chance to grow crops that can withstand the stress of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and storms, as well as pressure from disease, weeds, and pests.

I’ll grow more food and better food, using some of the best science and technology in the world.

That’s my hope, but nothing is assured. Last month’s vote is only a single step in a long march. The Commission proposal now needs to be adopted by the Council of the member states that did not yet reach an agreement. The details of the final law will continue to be discussed—and NGTs have lots of enemies, including ideological groups such as Greenpeace. Their propaganda once turned Europe against GMOs, to the detriment of everyone. The good news today is that scientists have decided not to stay silent and have started campaigning in favor of NGT plants.

Too much of this debate in fact has focused on techniques used and how NGTs are made, rather than on how they will create crops with better characteristics. I think farmers would be in better shape, the environment would be in better shape, consumers would be in better shape, and the research programs that have been shut down because of the impossibility of doing necessary field trials and commercialization of the final product outcomes would be in better shape.

We don’t have unlimited time to improve production in a world with a growing population and facing climate change.

Farmers must speak up: The time has come to give technology a chance.

Marco Aurelio Pasti grows corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, sugar beets, potatoes, some wine grapes and walnuts. They also breed beef cattle and have a biogas plant for electricity production in the north-eastern part of Italy along the Adriatic coast. Marco is a member of the Global Farmer Network. This column originates at www.globalfarmernetwork.org

Plants That Talk: Coming Soon To A Field Near You

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 22:45:53 GMT

As part of our effort to bring you the latest information on cutting-edge technology and machinery we’re featuring regular Q&A discussions with several ag tech startups.

Today we’re chatting with Dan Garblik, InnerPlant’s Senior VP of Operations and Finance, about the startup’s early warning seed trait technology and how it can help farmers make proactive management decisions. InnerPlant is based in California’s ag-rich Central Valley and has received notable investment support from John Deere, MS&AD Ventures and UpWest. The venture was founded by Shelly Aronov and Rob Kumimoto. Aronov currently serves as CEO and Kumimoto is Chief Science Officer.

The companies’ seed trait technology portends a future where farmers take zone management to the next level by managing individual plants versus managing in blocks or groups.

Farm Journal: Explain how InnerSoy works and how it provides an advantage over scouting with Normative Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) and/or more mainstream sensors?

Dan Garblik: InnerPlant’s technology starts with the seed that contains our trait. Farmers plant the seed and conduct their operations as they normally would with no need for extra steps. Once the plants are established, the trait lays dormant (unlike always-on resistance traits such as RoundUp Ready) until the plant is attacked by the target stress. Our trait is tied to a plant’s immune system, so when it’s attacked by a fungus, the plant activates its immune system and simultaneously makes our signaling protein. The light emitted by our protein is not visible to the unaided eye but is detectable using satellites, drones, tractors, etc. Once the signal is detected the agronomist and/or farmer knows exactly which plant or plants are being attacked by fungus and can take whatever action they decide is appropriate.

NDVI and other existing tools are not actually “real-time” but lagging indicators that show damage already suffered in a field. It’s like the fire department calling you to tell you your house has burned down. Our technology provides much earlier warning, such as a smoke detector in your kitchen that alerts you to smoke so you can take action to prevent your house from catching fire in the first place.

The InnerPlant signal is detectable about 48 to 72 hours after the onset of infection when the plant’s immune system is activated. That’s weeks before an agronomist or farmer would be able to see symptoms while walking the field. It provides enough of an early warning the farmer can prevent the damage to the crop that’s eventually detected by NDVI.

FJ: John Deere leading a $16 million funding round was big news for InnerPlant, and then the recent news GROWMARK is signing on to pilot the InnerSoy trait in 2024 was another step toward mainstream acceptance. Do you view those developments as somewhat of an affirmation the technology will indeed prove useful to farmers?

DG: Yes, our company directly benefitted from one of the few times that Deere has led a funding round in addition to their partnership in developing an integrated precision farming platform - along with fellow partner in the precision platform, Syngenta. This is absolutely an affirmation of the value of InnerPlant’s technology. And, having a large customer like GROWMARK piloting InnerSoy in their sentinel fields this spring is an important first step toward widespread farmer adoption of our technology.

FJ: Regarding the GROWMARK pilot, what is the goal of this partnership and what needs to take place for InnerPlant to feel like the partnership was a successful venture?

DG: We expect to see positive steps across our three goals:

Demonstrate the value of our fungal-detection trait as an early-warning system against fungal attacks.
Collaboratively educate both the GROWMARK and InnerPlant teams about how the system works in commercial fields.
Introduce GROWMARK’s member farmers to our technology and gather feedback on the system.

FJ: What’s next for InnerPlant as we head into a new row crop farming season?

DG: We’re laser-focused on commercializing our InnerSoy fungal sensor over the next few years. Concurrently, we’ll add additional traits to InnerSoy with insects next in line. We also plan to begin work on InnerCorn next year (we’ve done some very preliminary work in the last six months) and then will consider new crops. We’re working with soy and corn first because they’re the largest row crops and so hold the greatest impact both economically and environmentally.

FJ: Tell us how InnerPlant came to be.

DG: InnerPlant started when Shely Aronov’s (our founder) father-in-law introduced her to the concept of biosensors that have been used in the lab for decades. She suspected the concept would have considerable value if it could work outside the lab. She spent time speaking to a lot of farmers to validate her idea and understand what they would require from a system based on technology. They made it clear any useful system would have to be inexpensive, scalable to work on the vast size of row-crop fields and require no changes to current operations.

Shely was also introduced to plant molecular biologist Rod Kumimoto (our co-founder), who agreed biosensors would be very useful in the field, but he pointed out that no one had figured out how to detect the signal at scale, in daylight. The two co-founders dug a little deeper and found a lab at Stanford that helped pioneer the detection of plant signals from space.

The physicists at the lab were convinced they could detect a signal in the field in daylight but doubted Rod and the biologists would be able to create a viable biosensor. While the biologists were confident, they could create a viable biosensor, they doubted the physicists would be able to detect the signal in the field in daylight.

The interesting part of the story is for the first year or so, the biggest challenge was for the biologists to convince the physicists they could build the biosensor, and for the physicists to convince the biologists they could detect the signal. Field tests in late 2019/early 2020 settled the question and work started on creating InnerSoy.

To learn more about InnerSoy, head over to the startup’s website.

Cibus and Loveland Partner For Gene Edited Rice

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:18:02 GMT

Cibus, Inc., a leading agricultural technology company that develops and licenses Non-GMO plant traits to seed companies, announced has entered into a US Development Agreement with Loveland Products Inc., a subsidiary of Nutrien Ltd. Cibus has agreed to collaborate with Loveland Products to provide traits into Loveland’s elite rice seed genetics.

Under the terms of the agreement Loveland and Cibus will work toward commercializing herbicide tolerance in rice with a focus on the southern US market, where demand for novel approaches in weed control is most prevalent.

“Loveland Products is constantly striving to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace across the agricultural industry,” says Rob Dunlop, Vice President of North America seed at Nutrien. “We are excited to collaborate with Cibus to help address some of the most pressing weed management challenges of US rice growers.”

“We are thrilled to work with the Loveland Products and Dyna-Gro teams to deliver new herbicide management options to rice growers,” stated Norm Sissons, Senior Vice President Commercial at Cibus. “Importantly, our recent results using our Trait Machine to add traits like herbicide tolerance in rice show we can provide collaborators with new traits in their elite genetics on an accelerated timescale.”

A key element of Cibus’ technology breakthrough is its High Throughput Breeding Process (referred to as the Trait Machine system). The Trait Machine process is a crop specific application of Cibus’ patented Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS). The proprietary technologies in RTDS integrate crop specific cell biology platforms with a series of gene editing technologies to enable a system of end-to-end crop specific precision breeding. It is the core technology platform for Cibus’ Trait Machine: the first standardized end-to-end semi-automated crop specific gene editing system that directly edits a seed company’s elite germplasm. Each Trait Machine process requires a crop specific cell biology platform that enables Cibus to edit a single cell from a customers’ elite germplasm and grow that edited cell into a plant with the Cibus edits. Cibus has Trait Machine platforms developed for canola and rice and has already begun transferring their elite germplasm with Cibus edits back to customers.

The traits from Cibus’ RTDS-based High Throughput Breeding System are indistinguishable from traits developed using conventional breeding or from nature. RTDS does not integrate any foreign DNA or transgenes. Under the European Commission current proposals, it is expected that products from Cibus’ RTDS gene editing platform such as its pod shatter reduction trait and Sclerotinia resistance traits for Canola and Winter Oilseed Rape would be considered ‘Conventional-like’.

Cibus believes that RTDS and the Trait Machine process represent the technological breakthrough in plant breeding that is the ultimate promise of plant gene editing: High Throughput Gene Editing Systems operating as an extension of seed company breeding programs.

Keeping the Politics Out of Labels

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 13:00:00 GMT

By Jenny Holtermann: Wasco, California USA

We slap labels and warnings and disclaimers on everything these days—and the more we do it, the less we seem to pay attention.

When was the last time you read the long legal notice that asked for your consent before you upgraded your phone’s operating system? Have you ever made a joke about getting arrested by the mattress police because you removed a tag, supposedly “under penalty of law”? (Spoiler alert: It’s okay for buyers to remove mattress tags.) And don’t get me started on the reckless overuse of “non-GMO” labels, especially when they involve salt —a mineral that can’t be GMO or non-GMO because it doesn’t even have genes.

Each of these examples owes its existence to anxious lawyers, meddlesome regulators, or misleading marketers.

What they rarely consider are the basic needs of ordinary consumers for accurate and useful information.

That’s why I’m so encouraged by a new federal court ruling that blocks my home state of California from mandating a bad and inappropriate label on a popular agricultural product.

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said it was unconstitutional for California’s government to require the placement of cancer warning labels on glyphosate, a crop-protection tool that helps farmers and gardeners fight weeds.

Glyphosate is one of the oldest, most popular, and most effective herbicides in the world. Regulatory agencies everywhere have deemed it safe. That includes the Environmental Protection Agency here in the United States, as well as the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency , plus the Food Safety Commission of Japan and agencies in Canada and in Australia

and New Zealand .

This is the very definition of a scientific consensus: A result found to be true and confirmed repeatedly by international teams of researchers.

So why would a single state like California seek to require a warning label that is essentially a false alarm? The answer is simple: Labels have become political. Many of them are no longer about what people need to know, but rather what special-interest groups seek to impose—in this case, environmental activists who want to raise costs and uncertainties among farmers and consumers.

The federal judges slapped down California’s regulation because public officials chose to play politics instead of following sound science.

We need good labels, of course—and especially when it comes to our food. The “ Nutrition Facts ” label required by the Food and Drug Administration makes sense. It provides data on calories, ingredients, and serving sizes in a form that people can understand as they decide what to buy and eat.

We need proper warning labels, too. The FDA requires labels on safe products that may be found in kitchens everywhere, such as Clorox Bleach . Keep it out of the reach of children!

Crop-protection products such as glyphosate need labels that offer usage instructions. They provide helpful information on wearing gear such as long-sleeved shirts during application, washing hand thoroughly afterward, and how to dispose of empty containers.

On my almond farm in California, we use safe crop-protection products to protect our trees and nuts from pests and disease. We study and take required tests to receive certificates and licenses that indicate we are prepared to use these important tools safely. We also enroll in continuing-education classes to make sure we’re up to date on best practices.

All of this preparation is important to us as we work together to grow the healthy and nutritious food that our customers expect, always putting safety first. We also do it because it’s good for almond trees, keeping them healthy during the productive lives, which can last as long as 30 years. Most of all, we do it for our family: My children live and play in our fields, and we’d never put them in harm’s way.

When public officials play politics with labels, however, they put everything at risk because they encourage people not to take their words and warnings with the seriousness that appropriate labels deserve.

The federals judges saw the threat—and they wisely struck a blow against the proliferation of pointless labels.

Their wisdom recalls a famous line from the movie “The Incredibles.” Confronted with the platitude that “everyone is special,” a kid replies: “Which is another way of saying no one is.”

In other words, when everything carries a label, then nothing does—and the surest way to get consumers to stop paying attention to labels is to overwhelm them with labels full of confusing, useless, and deceptive information.

Jenny Holtermann is a 4^th generation family farmer, working with her husband’s father, brother, and families to grow almonds in California. She is an avid agvocate for agriculture and water management. Jenny is a member of the Global Farmer Network. www.globalfarmernetwork.org

GrowMark To Pilot InnerPlant’s Fluorescent Soybeans

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:42:13 GMT

With a three-year pilot, GrowMark and InnerPlant will put out plots on InnerSoy, the startups first commercial product.

InnerSoy are soybeans engineered to fluoresce when under attack from fungus.

In 2024, Growmark will establish sentinel locations for its InnerSoy plots to provide early warning of disease infestations near production soybean farms. The goal is two fold: provide precision scouting and improved agronomic intelligence.

“Growmark’s focus on providing farmers with the tools they need to efficiently and sustainably feed the world makes them an ideal partner for our in-field pilot,” said Dan Garblik, InnerPlant’s senior vice president of operations and finance. “Working with their experts will help us explore ways we can provide value to their farmer customers, as well as understand and optimize real-world operations.”

InnerSoy is genetically engineered to omit signals when stressed, which are detectable from as far away as space. The company says its products can show stress signals two weeks before current detection methods.

Growmark says this pilot layers with other related technology it is gaining experience with such as spore cams, remote sensing, and manual in-field scouting.

”Farmers face a tremendous amount of risk from the weather, geopolitical events, and pathogens,” said Growmark CEO Mark Orr. “This pilot gives our farmer-customers first access to cutting-edge technology that taps directly into plant physiology to give them critical data they need to mitigate some of that risk and better protect their crops.”

Benson Hill’s Interim CEO Becomes Permanent, Updates Business Model

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 20:49:41 GMT

Four months after its co-founder Matt Crisp stepped down and Deanie Elsner was named interim CEO at Benson Hill, Elsner has been appointed as permanent CEO and the company announces three updates to its business.

First, Benson Hill announces its expanded liquidity improvement plan. This includes divesting its processing facility in Seymour, Indiana. This is one example of how Benson Hill sees a future with an asset-light business model with a focused expansion into animal feed markets in addition to what it’s built with human food ingredients.

“Benson Hill has the agility to persevere. Based on our ongoing strategic review, we believe the strengthening of our financial foundation, moving to an asset-light business model, and introducing our innovations into attractive broader end markets, is the most feasible path forward for Benson Hill,” said Deanie Elsner, Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “Through the actions we have taken and are continuing to implement, we are poised to deliver significant value as a leader in AI-driven proprietary seed innovation.”

Company management has secured almost 50% of the case needed to retire senior term debt. It’s management’s estimate the company has more than 12 months of liquidity following payoff of the company’s high-cost debt.

Elsner continued, “We are already making progress on our strategic path. With the expected divestiture of our processing facilities, we plan to retire high-cost debt and extend our liquidity by more than 12 months. In addition, we are engaged in discussions with potential partners to scale our current proprietary portfolio and product pipeline for large-acre U.S. animal feed and pet food markets. I am excited about the opportunities to leverage the core strengths of the business for long-term value creation.”

The changes add up to a $33 million run rate operating expense reduction in 2024. And management expects an improved timeline to profitability.

Second, Benson Hill has built its product pipeline via its proprietary germplasm and CropOS (an AI-based platform for predictive breeding). The company sees potential in focusing on animal feed and pet food via several non-GMO, Ultra-High Protein low oligosaccharide (“UHP-LO”) commercial soybean varieties validating novel value-added attributes for poultry diets, swine rations, and pet food.

Commercially available proprietary soybean varieties and a future innovation pipeline give Benson Hill a first-mover advantage in animal feed and pet food. strategy to expand and diversify its proprietary product portfolio, improve nutrition security, and foster collaboration with industry partners within the food value chain.
Third, Elsner’s permanent appointment as CEO is effective immediately.

“In her first few months as Interim CEO of Benson Hill, Deanie has demonstrated a keen understanding of the market complexities and has uncovered ways to leverage the strength of CropOS and the company’s unparalleled innovation pipeline,” said Dan Jacobi, Chairman of the Benson Hill Board of Directors. “We appreciate her willingness and enthusiasm to lead the company on this journey, and the Board has every confidence that Deanie is the right person to take Benson Hill into its next phase of growth and keep the company on solid financial footing.”

Buckle Up: Dispute Panel Called to Action by US in Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:48:33 GMT

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) explained this week in its monthly Feed Outlook report that corn exports are reduced 25 million bushels this month to 1.625 billion.

“The weak pace of exports continues into the last quarter of the marketing year, with June exports totaling 150.4 million bushels, down approximately 66 million bushels from June 2022. Corn exports through the first 10 months of the marketing year sit at 1.466 billion bushels,” said ERS in its report.

ERS’s analysis points toward weaker corn exports to close out the marketing year. An announcement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday reveals the U.S.’s GMO corn dispute with Mexico could have something to do with the export decline.

Trade dispute panel called to action in GMO corn ban

USTR shared Thursday it will establish a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute settlement panel as a solution to Mexico’s move to ban GMO corn imports at the beginning of 2023. According to USTR, Mexico’s actions violate the trade agreement.

“Mexico’s approach to biotechnology is not based on science and runs counter to decades’ worth of evidence demonstrating its safety and the rigorous, science-based regulatory review system that ensures it poses no harm to human health and the environment,” says Tom Vilsack, USDA secretary. “Innovations in ag biotechnology play a key role in advancing solutions to our shared global challenges.”

How the USMCA Dispute Process Works

Initially, the U.S. tried to forego a dispute with Mexico through negotiations. Because one-on-one conversations have not remedied the issue, the U.S. began the formal process of a dispute, which includes:

1. Consultations

According to Congress, technical consultations are the initial step in invoking a dispute. USTR took this step in March, which required the U.S. and Mexico to meet within 30 days.

2. Establishing a Dispute Panel

This is the step USTR announced Thursday. At this point, the issue becomes a full-blown trade dispute, and a process will take place to put three to five people on a panel from both Mexico and the U.S.

3. The Panel Process

The elected panel will examine evidence and hear oral testimony from both Mexico and the U.S.

4. Resolving the Dispute

Once the panel delivers a verdict, the party that is found to have violated its obligations under the USMCA will have 45-days to settle the dispute. If a settlement isn’t reached in that window, the “winning” party can impose tariffs on the ag products, such as GMO corn.

What the ag industry has to say about Mexico’s GMO corn ban

Leaders at the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said they are in support of USTR’s dispute panel move.

“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president. “U.S. officials have exhausted every avenue trying to resolve this conflict and are left with no other choice but to turn to a third-party panel in hopes of quickly rectifying this issue.”

Is Mexico Banning GMO Corn to Protect Native Corn Varieties?

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:50:00 GMT

Mexico’s move to ban genetically modified corn is a manifestation of its efforts to protect numerous native corn varieties against the global ag industry’s push towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to an article from Ambrook Research . Many activists are celebrating this decision, despite acknowledging the significant pressure coming from trade partners like the U.S. and Canada.

Backstory on GMO Corn in Mexico

The article says that in Mexico, corn is much more than a food crop — it’s a key part of the country’s heritage, culture, and traditions. It has even been listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage of Humanity list. The Mexican government argues glyphosate and GM corn are dangerous to human health, and seeks to introduce alternative, culturally appropriate farming practices and herbicides.

However, there is a broader issue at stake in this debate: Conflicting views of corn’s role and value across different cultures. While the U.S. mainly uses corn for livestock feed and industrial use, corn plays a much more central role in Mexican diets and cultures.

Related story: Food Manufacturers Agree to Use Only non-GMO Corn in Mexico’s Tortillas

Mexico is home to approximately 60 native corn varieties and these varieties are thought to be at risk of contamination or substitution by GM crops, posing a potential threat to Mexico’s cultural heritage and biodiversity alike. With constant pressure from trade partners and the ag sector, fully implementing the ban on GM corn could be a long-term process. Mexico is currently unable to replace all its U.S. GM corn imports by itself.

What’s Next for Mexico Regarding GMO Corn?

Despite these challenges, Mexican advocates remain committed to defending their cultural traditions, health, and ancestral ways of life by protecting the biodiversity of domesticated corn.

Recently, measures have been taken such as the introduction of a 50% tariff on white corn imports and the modification of regulatory standards to ensure tortilla makers only use non-GM white corn.

FDA on purple tomatoes: No further questions

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 18:03:07 GMT

The purple tomato is heading to market.

Norfolk Plant Sciences says it has successfully completed a consultation with the Food and Drug Administration regarding its high-antioxidant, genetically engineered purple tomato.

Following a comprehensive review, the FDA stated, “We have no further questions concerning human food derived from Del/Ros1-N tomato at this time,” according to a news release.

The first limited sales of the purple tomato have started to restaurants and at several farmers markets, Norfolk Healthy Produce CEO Nathan Pumplin said in an email. The company, which is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Norfolk Plant Sciences, is in the process of finalizing the market name for the purple tomato.

“The support and engagement we’ve received from the FDA, and from our industry, have been truly inspiring as we pave the way for the next generation of produce and food,” Pumplin said in the release. “With a tomato that captivates palates while promoting well-being, we look forward to sharing its exceptional qualities with enthusiastic consumers.”

This decision from the FDA aligns with the USDA’s positive decision in September 2022, marking a significant milestone for Norfolk, the release said. With this development, the company is ready to introduce a range of purple tomato products, including fresh tomatoes and seeds for home gardeners, according to the release.

Developed by professor Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, United Kingdom, the purple tomato derives its exceptional antioxidant properties from two genes sourced from the edible snapdragon flower, the release said.

Related: More produce tech news

These genes naturally stimulate the tomato’s ability to produce purple pigments, resulting in the vibrant hues of purple-skinned tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries and eggplants. Throughout the consultation process, the FDA closely reviewed the purple tomato’s composition, safety and other relevant parameters, the release said.

Purple tomatoes have a similar nutrient composition as their conventional counterparts, except for their intended higher levels of anthocyanins, the release said, and the FDA concluded that bioengineered purple tomatoes do not present concerns for human food.

“This is excellent news,” Martin said in the release. “Fifteen years after our first peer-reviewed publication, I am thrilled to share the healthy fruits of my research with tomato lovers and gardeners.”

Professor Jonathan Jones, co-founder of Norfolk Plant Sciences with Martin, said in the release that the FDA’s verdict “feels like a watershed moment.”

“Since Cathie and I founded NPS over 15 years ago, a challenging regulatory process has hindered our vision of a consumer biotech company that could add attractive and health-promoting traits to fresh produce,” Jones said in the release. “The challenges have been successfully overcome, and we are eager to introduce these crop improvements to the public in a product that enables consumer choice.”

Jessica Louie, chief technology officer of Norfolk Healthy Produce, said the company expects to expand the availability of the purple tomato in 2024.

USTR Comments on USMCA Meetings

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:00:00 GMT

During a bilateral meeting on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai discussed with Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier various issues concerning energy and biotech corn.

According to the Office of the USTR, Tai highlighted concerns about the recent upsurge of steel and aluminum imports from Mexico into the U.S. Further, the regulatory uncertainties confronted by American electronic payment service providers operating in Mexico, and Mexico’s telecommunications spectrum fee method were also issues that were discussed.

Tai said that trade dispute settlement consultations over GMO corn that the U.S. requested in June began with Mexico last week.

Mexico’s Health Ministry on Monday published a draft proposal to modify the Official Mexican Standard (NOM) that governs products made from masa, or corn dough. The proposal is part of an overall federal government effort to stop Mexicans from eating white GMO corn imports, most of which comes from the U.S.

“The use of genetically modified corn as a raw material must be avoided in the making of the products covered by this Mexican Official Standard,” states the document.

Interested parties have 30 days to comment on the proposal, after which the government could publish a modified NOM in its official gazette that bans the use of GM corn in tortillas. The modified NOM would take effect 60 days after publication. The National Chamber of Industrialized Corn (Canami) said that the proposed measure “creates restrictions on international trade and members of the International Trade Organization must be notified.”

Canami also said that the costs of laboratory tests to determine whether corn is GMO or not aren’t being considered. The chamber said that those costs could cause their members to record net losses.

The Health Ministry’s publication came just over a week after the federal government imposed a 50% tariff on white corn imports to limit human consumption of GMO corn. The tariff, which ends access to white corn imports, is scheduled to remain in force until Dec. 31, 2023, after which Mexico intends to ban the importation of GMO corn for human consumption. A ban on GMO corn for animal feed is slated to come in at an unspecified later date, depending on supply.

What’s Next with Mexico and the U.S. in GMO Corn

Despite the contentious nature of these topics, Tai remains hopeful of solutions. She affirmed to reporters that the U.S. has noted some progress in negotiations about energy with Mexico, expressing optimism that the dispute would eventually be resolved.

In a second readout, USTR said Tai discussed the disputes over Mexico’s energy and biotech corn policies with Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng. Tai also underscored the need for Canada to fully meet its USMCA commitments, including dairy and home shopping, and urged Canada to refrain from imposing a digital services tax.

Of note: The latest Commerce Department report shows the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico rose to a record $14.1 billion in May.

USMCA Up for Debate in Mexico This Week

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 17:16:27 GMT

This week’s talks in Cancun, Mexico between U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng, and Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro will allow them to assess the state of the agreement and discuss a series of disputes. Issues include:

• U.S. and Canadian concerns about Mexican energy and biotech policies

• U.S. concerns on Canadian dairy barriers

• Canadian objections to U.S. softwood lumber duties

Another issue is auto rules of origin regulations. Canada and Mexico previously contested the Trump administration’s approach to implementing these rules, arguing the U.S. interpretation was more burdensome than originally negotiated. Even though they won the case in December 2022, the Biden administration has yet to modify the approach, inviting possible retaliation from Canada and Mexico.

Stakeholders plead for answers

U.S. business groups want the Biden administration to formally request a dispute settlement panel to challenge Mexican energy policies that they believe are a violation of the USMCA that went into force three years ago.

The American Petroleum Institute and more than a dozen other business groups raised the energy concern in an 11-page letter to Tai ahead of her attendance today and tomorrow at a meeting of the USMCA Free Trade Commission in Cancún, Mexico.

“We commend the Biden administration’s decision last year to request consultations under the USMCA regarding Mexico’s energy policies,” the groups said in the letter. “However, we are concerned by the Mexican Government’s failure to fix the issues raised by the United States. Mexico continues to hinder the operations of private companies in its energy sector, contrary to its own laws.”

Tai requested consultations with Mexico on the energy issues nearly one year ago on July 20, 2022, and was joined by Canada in the dispute. However, neither country has taken the next step of asking for a panel of trade experts to hear their complaint and decide whether Mexico has violated the three-year-old pact.

Regarding U.S. disputes against Mexico’s biotech corn policies and Canada’s dairy market access barriers, the U.S. has formally requested a dispute settlement panel to issue a decision.

USMCA dispute bottom line

USTR officials said that while the issues on biotechnology, dairy and energy may come up during the discussions, the dispute settlement process was the “primary” venue for such discussions.

“While there are areas of disagreement, of course, some of which may come up in these bilateral meetings, they do not outweigh the productive nature of our trade relationship,” an official said.

The official said those items are not “walled off” from being discussed, the primary format on those topics is the consultations that are ongoing.

Expiration date stamped on the USMCA

The USMCA has an expiration timeline of 16 years, with the opportunity for extension depending on the consensus of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The review process starts in year six (2026), where each country can express desire to extend or can raise issues to be addressed. In the latter case, annual reviews will continue until the issues are resolved or the agreement ends in year 16.

Food Manufacturers Agree to Use Only non-GMO Corn in Mexico's Tortillas

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:54:18 GMT

Mexico reached an agreement with food manufacturers to use only non-GMO corn in tortilla production across the country. The government says it plans to implement new import tariffs on white corn imports.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced this decision on June 19, emphasizing the importance of preserving the nation’s traditional food practices.

Background on Mexico’s GMO Decree

The decision follows Obrador declaration in 2020 that Mexico will be phasing out imports of certain ag biotechnology products, including GMO corn, in 2025.

After being approached by the U.S. in January about the trade issue, Mexico replied with a new decree, which proposed the ban be put in immediate effect, as opposed to the initial 2025 proposal.

Mexico’s decision has raised concerns from the U.S. and Canada. Initially, the U.S. tried to forego a dispute with Mexico through negotiations. Because one-on-one conversations have not remedied the issue, the U.S. began the formal process of a dispute.

What Mexico Has to Say About GMO Trade

Mexico defends its actions, stating that its self-sufficiency in white corn production means that the ban does not qualify as a trade barrier. On the other hand, the U.S. and Canada argue that this policy contradicts Mexico’s commitment to make science-based decisions on biotechnology according to the USMCA.

As multiple discussions have not yet resolved the issue, it seems probable that the disagreement will be brought to a USMCA panel .

How Gene Editing Can Help Agriculture Adjust to Climate Change

Wed, 03 May 2023 14:10:37 GMT

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, agricultural biotechnology is defined as “a range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses.”

This modern set of tools were initially brought to bear in modifying traditional row crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton by inserting genes from other organisms to generate novel traits in those crops. This practice is commonly known as genetic engineering, and the first crop that was successfully marketed that was created using this technique was a variety of soybeans modified to tolerate the use of the pesticide glyphosate (produced by Monsanto under the name Round-up) in 1996. So-called Roundup Ready cotton was introduced to the market in 1997, and corn with this trait was first cultivated in 1998. This modification allowed farmers to use this pesticide to address weed populations in their fields without harming their primary cash crop being grown in those fields.

The other main trait that was introduced into row crops early in the biotech era was resistance to pests that had proven to be highly damaging to specific crops. This was accomplished by incorporating resistance through use of proteins designed to target specific pest species from the bacterium bacillus thuringensis (BT) into a second bacteria known as agrobacterium, which is then inserted into the crop’s genome. The first BT crop introduced was a corn variety modified to resist European corn borer, a pest which was causing severe economic harm to Midwest corn producers, in 1996.

Since the early days of genetically engineered crops, when available science was only able to incorporate a single novel trait into a crop at a time, plant breeders have learned how to develop and market crops with multiple new traits, incorporating resistance to multiple herbicides as well as multiple pests.

In addition to genetically engineered soybeans, corn, and cotton, which account for the vast majority of acres planted to such crops, there are also genetically engineered varieties of nearly 30 other crops which have been approved for cultivation, although the most recent addition to the list, genetically engineered wheat, has only been approved for cultivation in Argentina, and is undergoing field trials in a handful of other countries. This HB4 wheat is designed to be more tolerant of drought conditions than conventionally bred wheat, which should be beneficial for wheat producers as climate change continues to impact global agriculture.

The next breakthrough in agricultural biotechnology occurred in 2012, when four scientists (George Church, Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier, and Feng Zhang) published work on the techniques they had developed to edit genes within a given organism to turn off or turn on certain traits. They figured out how to use guide RNA as ‘genetic scissors’ to cut DNA strands with great precision. Drs. Doudna (UC-Berkeley) and Charpentier (Max Planck Institute in Berlin) received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work.

These CRISPR/CAS9 techniques have found wide applications across a range of endeavors, including medicine, but have gained strong interest in the field of agricultural biotechnology, as their use can be both more targeted and less costly and time-consuming than the earlier genetic engineering practices described above.

A 2019 article in Financial Times found that the average development and commercialization cost for a novel trait developed through genetic engineering was $130 million, as compared to about $10 million for a gene-edited trait. The former process takes about 13 years on average to complete from lab bench to market, while the latter typically takes only five years.

Through early last year, only six gene-edited crops had been approved for commercialization–in soybeans, canola, rice, maize, mushrooms, and camelina–according to an April 2022 article published in Nature Genetics.

However, a lot of other gene editing projects are already in the animal and plant breeding pipeline, and many of those efforts are focused on helping farmers adapt to the new weather stresses occurring as a result of climate change. Work aimed at developing new animal and plant varieties which are more tolerant of heat and drought has been underway for some time. For example, extensive conventional breeding work by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) into developing drought tolerant maize (corn) for Africa, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners had resulted in the release of 160 distinct drought-tolerant maize varieties in 13 African countries by 2013, being used by an estimated 40 million smallholder farmers. In a Uganda-specific case study published in 2019, use of drought tolerant maize seed increased yield by 15 percent and reduced the probability of crop failure by 30 percent. Drought tolerant varieties of corn were introduced in the United States in 2011 (conventionally bred) and 2012 (genetically engineered), and within five years, more than one-fifth of all U.S. corn acres were planted with seed that incorporated this trait.

Research is currently underway using gene editing to try to develop drought or abiotic stress tolerance in a number of important crops, including wheat, cassava, papaya, sugar cane, and cotton. Climate change is also believed to be responsible for making plants more vulnerable to disease because many diseases are activated under stress conditions. Scientists at IITA are seeking to deactivate the gene which makes plantains (a staple crop in many African countries) vulnerable to banana streak virus. Scientists in China are also using this tool to improve the tolerance of rice crops to salinity in the soil.

A 2022 article in Plant Biology urged scientific institutions to find ways to speed up plant breeding to respond to the challenges to crop production emanating from climate change, some of which are described above. The authors suggested that “next-generation breeding approaches must integrate multidisciplinary tools, approaches, and platforms into the analytical process to accelerate the development of new climate-resilient varieties.” Clearly, use of CRISPR/CAS9 gene editing techniques will have to be part of these approaches.

Which States Would Feel the Effects of Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban?

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 21:30:17 GMT

Mexico issued a proposed ban on GMO corn in 2022, putting the U.S. in a position to lose out on 17 million metric tons of corn exports to Mexico, effectively violating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). So, where could the corn dispute end up?

The Backstory

Related story: U.S. Nears USMCA Dispute With Mexico Concerning GMO Corn

The new decree “does not represent any impact on trade or imports, among other reasons, because Mexico is greatly self-sufficient in the production of white corn free from transgenics,” said Mexico’s economy ministry.

Where is the U.S. in Mexico’s GMO Corn Dispute?

As of the writing of this article, the U.S. has begun the first step of the USMCA dispute process, which includes consultations.

If consultations do not remedy the issue, the U.S. will move to the next steps which include establishing a dispute panel, examining evidence and resolving the dispute.

So, who would bear the brunt of this corn disagreement?

Effects on the U.S. Corn Market

According to research from Ohio State University (OSU), most U.S. states will experience a “limited effect” of the dispute in the short term.

However, OSU found the top-six states that could feel a shift from Mexico’s corn ban, which include Illinois, Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

To put those numbers in perspective, Mexico accounted for more than 70% of Illinois corn exports in 2021 and 2022, according to OSU researchers, as opposed to Ohio which exported only 2% of its corn to Mexico.

Export numbers aside, OSU’s researchers anticipate two “substantial” indirect impacts on U.S. producers.

1. Market aftershocks

“There would likely be a ‘ripple effect’ as additional supplies are diverted to the domestic market, driving down corn prices,” the OSU researchers said. “As a result, U.S. corn farmers would likely see increased risk of a squeeze on their margins.”

2. Regulatory uncertainty

“If this dispute is not resolved in favor the U.S., it would introduce considerable regulatory uncertainty, with the potential of undermining the stable operation of commodity markets,” the researchers said.

According to their research, the two impacts could increase the cost of risk management tools like hedging and options, and compound “financial strain” on U.S. grain producers as a whole.

The Upside

The good news is OSU’s researchers don’t foresee producers experiencing these two problems, as they expect a dispute panel would rule in favor of the U.S.

“Ending the dispute matters to U.S. farmers from states that have significant corn exports to Mexico, as well as to other farmers whose margins would likely come under significant pressure if the ban is enforced,” the researchers said.

Corn Rootworm Beetle Counts Forecast Problems For 2023

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 22:06:03 GMT

Farmers in parts of the Midwest face a high potential for significant corn rootworm pressure in their fields this season.

That’s according to work conducted by the Corn Rootworm IPM Regional Working Group, which monitored beetle traps last summer to develop the “forecast” for 2023. The Group is made up of university, industry and government personnel from at least 12 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces.

“Some of the worst rootworm problems in the U.S. over the last several years have been in parts of Iowa, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and Minnesota, and Nebraska that have a lot of corn-on-corn production—especially in those areas where long-term continuous corn is produced,” Nick Seiter, research entomologist at the University of Illinois, told Farm Journal. “Not surprisingly, resistance is most intense in those same areas.”

Seiter and Joe Spencer, principal research scientist, Illinois Natural History Survey, provided an outlook for Illinois last week in a CRW webinar .

“The most pressing concern is the ongoing development of resistance in both western and northern corn rootworm to pyramided Bt trait packages,” Seiter says. “And presumably, the recent increase in the population of these species in these areas is due to their increasing ability to overcome Bt corn.”

The EPA says farmers are likely in the “red zone” for corn rootworm problems this season, if they have these conditions or scenarios on their farm: corn-on-corn for multiple years, heavy use of Bt corn, use of the same Bt trait year-after-year, regular corn rootworm infestations and spotty compliance with current refuge requirements.

Location, Location, Location....

For Illinois, farmers in the northern third of the state are seeing more of the pest show up in fields, while in other parts of the state farmers are seeing fewer CRW.

“Right now in east-central Illinois where we’re giving this webinar, our population’s pretty low, so the information can seem a little bit schizophrenic sometimes depending on where we’re talking about,” Seiter says. “If you’re in DeKalb County you’re going to agree with us (that CRW is a significant problem), but if you’re in Champaign County you might say, ‘What are you talking about, man? I haven’t worried about corn rootworm in years.’”

2022 corn rootworm beetle counts conducted in 562 corn and soybean field locations by Bayer Crop Science paint a concerning picture for the 2023 season in much of Iowa, southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin and parts of Nebraska and eastern South Dakota (see charts above).

Bt Traits Struggle To Keep CRW In Check
Over time, the Bt traits designed to keep CRW at bay have started to lose their efficacy, allowing resistance to build in many areas and complicate farmers’ management decisions.

Still, Bt traits are a valuable tool to use in the ongoing battle to keep CRW contained.

Chris DiFonzo, Michigan State University field crops entomologist, updates the list of traits available each year in a tool called the Handy Bt Trait Table for Field Corn , which was updated in March.

In addition, DiFonzo offers directions on how to use the trait table here .

Joe Spencer, with the Illinois Natural History Survey, says farmers often struggle to identify whether they have resistance issues.

“Unless growers are leaving non-Bt check strips in or near their Bt cornfields and actually comparing root injury, they are likely unable to judge whether their chosen Bt hybrid is providing the efficacy they expect,” he says.

“Planting a check strip is a great way for growers to see the difference between their chosen management tactics and the effect of field-level pest pressure on unprotected corn,” he adds.

New Trait Technology Will Help Address CRW

New technology from Bayer and Corteva, Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) technology, works in CRW as it feeds on corn roots by turning off functions the pest needs for development and survival.

“They’re silencing translation of a protein that the beetle needs to survive and develop. And because that protein is essential for rootworm growth, the insect is going to die in around five days,” Seiter explains.

That timing is why RNAi technology is paired with Bt traits. The combination gives CRW a one-two punch of control.

“You get that rapid cessation of feeding (from Bt), and also limited survival of that insect to adulthood, because of the RNAi,” he adds.

Don’t Let Your Guard Down This Season

Seiter says the potential exists for CRW to develop resistance to RNAi, so stewardship of the technology as it comes to the marketplace is critical.

Along with that, scouting for corn rootworm is the best way to determine if other management actions are needed, say Erin Hodgson and Ashley Dean, Iowa State University.

They report that once scouting reveals corn rootworm is present and causing injury to a cornfield, choosing the best management strategy depends on field history, resistance issues (insecticide, traits and/or crop rotation), financial constraints, and agronomic practices in the field.

Unspoken Truths About Pests: Corn Rootworm

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Two Times when Spraying Corn Rootworm Adults can Payoff

Sound Agriculture launches on-demand-bred tomato

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 18:25:20 GMT

Sound Agriculture has launched the Summer Swell tomato, a new slicing tomato variety grown using on-demand breeding, a non-GMO process that uses epigenetics to develop plant traits 10 times faster than current methods, according to a news release.

The Emeryville, Calif.-based company says that means increased durability and improved flavor, leading to reduced food waste and a better eating experience that ultimately promotes produce consumption.

The Summer Swell tomato will be distributed through New York City-based produce wholesaler distributor S. Katzman Produce and available at grocery stores in the New York metropolitan area beginning April 2023, the release said.

“Our customers are looking for new, innovative products that offer a great tasting experience,” said Stefanie Katzman, executive vice president at S. Katzman Produce. “We were drawn to Summer Swell because of its proprietary platform, which is used to enhance flavor and shelf life — two key factors that contribute to improved consumer experience and increased produce consumption.”

Summer Swell went from an idea to a new tomato within two years, which Sound Agriculture says represents a new pace of innovation in plant breeding.

“With on-demand breeding, consumers have access to great-tasting plant-based options today without having to wait the five to 10 years required by the traditional breeding process,” said Adam Litle, CEO of Sound Agriculture. “By tuning natural trait expression, the Summer Swell tomato gives people access to delicious heirloom tomato flavor any time of year.”

The company describes Summer Swell as a new, more flavorful variety reminiscent of an heirloom tomato, with additional benefits including:

The ability to remain on the vine longer and develop more flavor and sweetness, while still being able to better withstand transportation logistics.
Extended shelf life: Once at a consumer’s home, the typical Summer Swells retains peak flavor and firmness for eight days compared to three days with most heirloom tomatoes.

Sound Agriculture says it is working with more than a dozen companies, including CPGs, ingredient and seed companies, to develop new varieties with improved nutritional content, reduced browning, increased pest resistance, improved texture, enhanced color and more. These improvements address important health and sustainability issues by improving nutrition, increasing access to healthy foods and reducing food waste and chemical use, the release said.

US Nears USMCA Dispute With Mexico Concerning GMO Corn

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 22:27:25 GMT

The U.S./Mexico GMO ban debate has been called into question again, this time in the form of technical consultations.

The Government of Mexico will consult with the U.S. regarding Mexico’s lack of compliance in the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), according to a press release from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

Mexican GMO Ban Background

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared in 2020 that Mexico will be phasing out certain ag biotechnology product imports, including GMO corn, in 2025.

After being approached by the U.S. in January about the trade issue, Mexico replied with a new decree, which proposed the ban be put in immediate effect, as opposed to the initial 2025 proposal.

The new decree “does not represent any impact on trade or imports, among other reasons, because Mexico is greatly self-sufficient in the production of white corn free from transgenics,” said Mexico’s economy ministry.

While USTR made its sentiments about Mexico’s GMO ban known, no official consultative action was taken at the time.

How the USCMA Dispute Process Works

Chapter 31 of the USCMA breaks down the process of how a trade dispute settlement process works. Initially, the U.S. tried to forego a dispute with Mexico through negotiations. Since recent talks have not remedied the issue, the U.S. began the formal process of a dispute, which includes:

1. Consultations

According to Congress, consultations are the initial step in invoking a dispute. This is the first step USTR took on Monday, which will require the U.S. and Mexico to meet within 30 days.

2. Establishing a Dispute Panel

This step will be the next in line if consultations do not remedy the issue. At this point, the issue would become a full-blown trade dispute and a process would take place to put three to five people on a panel for Mexico and the U.S.

3. The Panel Process

The elected panel would then examine evidence and hear oral testimony from both the U.S. and Mexico.

4. Resolving the Dispute

Once the verdict is in, the party that is found to have violated its obligations under the USMCA will have 45-days to settle the dispute. If a settlement isn’t reached in that window, the “winning” party can impose tariffs on the ag products, such as GMO corn.

In Good Time

While the trade dispute is only in its first phase, some U.S. legislators, such as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.), think the consultations were a long-time coming.

“With over 90% of the corn acreage in the United States being planted to biotech seeds and Mexico being the No. 1 purchaser of U.S. corn, I’m concerned this decree is not being met with the urgency it deserves,” he said in a February Senate Ag Committee farm bill hearing .

However, Grassley is “glad” to hear USTR is taking up measures within the USMCA.

I appreciate Amb Tai giving me news that 2day USTR announced consultations w Mexico under USMCA on ag biotechnology Since Amb Tai was going thru confirmation I warned about Mexico’s decree on banning U.S. corn imports & glad 2 see USTR finally taking action to enforce USMCA pic.twitter.com/NUUzA9DzU1
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) March 6, 2023

What to Expect in Consultations

As the consultations move forward, Tom Vilsack, USDA secretary, says he’s confident the evidence will find U.S.’s interpretation of USCMA measures is accurate.

“While we appreciate the sustained, active engagement with our Mexican counterparts at all levels of government, we remain firm in our view that Mexico’s current biotechnology trajectory is not grounded in science, which is the foundation of USMCA,” Vilsack said.

The next 30-days will reveal whether the trade issue will move forward to the second stage of establishing a dispute panel or be resolved in consultations.

Vilsack Signals USMCA Case is Coming on GMO Corn Situation in Mexico

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:53:29 GMT

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said that a dispute settlement request under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USCMA) is likely “coming” relative to Mexico’s decree on barring imports of GMO corn for food use as of 2024.

During a press conference at USDA’s Outlook Forum, Vilsack said the two sides are currently in an information-sharing stage which needs to occur. But the U.S. appears to be pursuing a case via USMCA on the matter. “That is going to happen, because we’re essentially in a circumstance where this is not a situation that lends itself to a compromise,” he remarked.

Other U.S. officials addressing the topic during another session at the Forum would only say that the U.S. was keeping the option open to pursue dispute settlement processes under USMCA. U.S. Trade Representative Special Agriculture Negotiator Doug McKalip said the U.S. was reviewing a response from Mexico in the matter and there would be something coming “soon.”

McKalip noted Mexico is granting approvals to applications for new genetically modified plant traits. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, McKalip said Mexico appears “interested in finding a solution. I think they’d like to avoid going to a dispute panel.”

Upshot

Vilsack essentially said to not pursue this case could put the U.S. in a difficult position with other trading partners. Vilsack denied that immigration issues were a factor in the U.S. not having already brought a USMCA case against Mexico.

Mexico Says U.S. GMO Corn Will be Imported if it Passes a Test

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 17:37:46 GMT

Mexico will soon publish a new decree regarding the import of GMO corn that Mexican Secretary of Economy Raquel Buenrostro said will address U.S. concerns on the Mexican action, according to a Reuters report.

Read more: Biden Officials Pressed on Mexico Corn Trade Issue at Farm Bill Hearing

The new decree will indicate that if U.S. GMO corn passes the sanitary filters of the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), it will have no problem entering Mexico, said Buenrostro.

Without specifying a date, Buenrostro anticipated a new decree will be published in a few days, which she says will address U.S. concerns and should eliminate the possibility of the U.S. starting a dispute settlement process against Mexico under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Read more: A Trade Panel Backed Mexico and Canada in a Dispute With the U.S.

“In the new drafting proposal, an article was included, ‘claritito,’ which said that transgenic corn would be evaluated by Cofepris on a scientific basis, which is our regulatory health authority, and that it could work together with the regulatory health authorities of other countries. Then there would be no problem because the science is already there,” Buenrostro said. “And if they prove that there is no harm to health, then it will be approved. If Cofepris says that it does not generate any harm, the product is approved.”

Biden Officials Pressed on Mexico Corn Trade Issue at Farm Bill Hearing

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:30:00 GMT

“When it comes to agricultural trade, the concern I hear most from Iowans is access to Mexico’s corn market,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). “With over 90% of the corn acreage in the United States being planted to biotech seeds and Mexico being the number one purchaser of U.S. corn, I‘m concerned that this decree is not being met with the urgency that it deserves,” he said, referring to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s decree that would phase out imports of GMO corn in 2024 — extended to 2025 under a compromise López Obrador’s administration recently offered, but which the U.S. rejected.

Read more: Mexico’s GMO Corn Debate Tabled Until 2025, According to Mexico

Grassley recalled his role as former chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and support of USMCA. He noted the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) move Tuesday to seek a second dispute panel aimed at seeing Canada meet dairy market access commitments it made under the pact and asked why the Biden administration has yet to do the same relative to Mexico’s policy on GM corn imports.

USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor responded:

“We are engaging with urgency on this issue. We certainly appreciate the potential impact that the proposed decree could have on our corn growers here in the United States, but much broader than that, fundamentally our trading system globally, but also within the USMCA [which] is built upon science-based policies.”

Read more: USTR Again Raises Ag Biotech, GMO Corn Issue with Mexico

She stressed that the U.S. would hold Mexico to its commitments under USMCA and would work closely with the Senate Ag panel on the issue. Grassley asked Taylor whether she had a timeline on negotiations.

“We have been very clear that the USMCA gives us a process to go down if we cannot find resolution on this issue, and that we reserve all of those rights,” Taylor said.

USTR Again Raises Ag Biotech, GMO Corn Issue with Mexico

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:47:58 GMT

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White yesterday met with Mexico’s Under Secretary of Economy for Foreign Trade Alejandro Encinas in San Diego, and White called on Mexico to “return to a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process for all ag biotechnology products in Mexico.”

Mexico Official Admits Country Cannot Replace Imports of U.S. Corn

While Mexico wants to reduce its imports of corn by 30% to 40% by 2024, Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez told reporters in Mexico City that it cannot replace its imports of U.S. corn for livestock feed.

Read more: U.S. Officials Stress ‘Grave Concerns’ to Mexico Over GMO Corn

He declared the country self-sufficient in white corn production, but still highly dependent on the U.S. for yellow corn to feed livestock.

“We are not going to be able to produce another 16 million tonnes of corn, which is currently imported for the livestock sector,” Suarez said, adding the next government will have to address the issue as the country needs to “continue the strategy of saving small growers and food self-sufficiency.”

The leaders also discussed issues on Mexico’s energy policies that are under a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute process.

On the Canadian Front

White also met with Canada’s Deputy Minister for International Trade Rob Stewart where issues on Canada’s unilateral digital service tax and pending legislation in Canada could affect digital streaming services and online news sharing.

However, the dispute between the two countries over Canada’s implementation of its dairy tariff-rate quotas was not mentioned in the readout from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

The three officials will take part today in a USMCA deputies meeting in San Diego.

The U.S. already won one case via USMCA dispute settlement procedures over Canada’s dairy TRQ implementation and has requested new consultations on Canada dairy TRQ allocation measures.

A Mood Ring For Plants? InnerPlant Raises $16 Million, Led by John Deere

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 01:55:25 GMT

Big green (John Deere) has led an investment round in InnerPlant, a technology company developing a way for plants to change color and show what it stressing their growth.

InnerPlant is currently developing transgenic soybeans that display a color change within several days of being infected by a disease.

The company has raised its Series A funding round with $16 million, which Shely Aronov, CEO and co-founder of InnerPlant, says will be directed to making their technologies commercially ready.

“For 2023, we are working to finalize the technical validation on soybean fungal sensors,” Aronov says. “We have 75 farmers in our InnerCircle, and we want to launch with some of those test farmers in 2024.”

For the past three and a half years, soybeans have been the focus for InnerPlant because of the opportunities in both the U.S. and Brazil. Also, Aronov notes there’s more diversity in the germplasm compared with corn, as soybeans have five providers in the industry. While first developing fungal sensors, Aronov says the scientists at InnerPlant are also working on being able to detect optical signals through the leaves for insect pressures, and later nitrogen deficiency in corn.

“When plants start reacting to stress they react internally to protect themselves and with our technology they produce a protein in the leaves and create a light source. This means the plant can communicate to the farmer what stresses are where in the field. It can help provide plant-by-plant management,” she says.

This digitized scouting is rooted in plants emitting the data to be collected. The company started in 2019 with the idea of applying molecular biology and biosensors as a data platform technology. The company has progressed with two signals–red and green light.

She adds it’s a very versatile signal that be captured from the level of a satellite to equipment in the field using spectrometry or a camera.

“The whole ethos of InnerPlant is that we create technology that doesn’t add work. It should be affordable and scalable,” she says. “This is the final frontier for plant-by-plant management with ground proofing technology. We want to create a technology that promotes efficiencies in farming. We want an ecosystem to deliver a more efficient system, more resilient plants, and uses better management practices.”

So why is a machinery company investing in a transgenic technology for plants? John Deere has also said its intent to provide tools for plant-by-plant management.

“We are aligned in a similar vision to enable plants to communicate, tells us what they need, transform with sensing and then acting, and be efficient in field operations,” Aronov says. “Timing is a huge part of how products work in the field. There are so many applications of this technology, but it’s all about early detection and early action.”

The a $16M Series A funding round was led by John Deere with participation from existing investors, MS&AD Ventures, Bee Partners, and UpWest.

Farmer Collaboration Contributes to Next-Generation Technologies

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 13:53:24 GMT

This article was written by David Frabotta, Manager, Climate-Smart Ag Interactive Programming for Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative. Learn more at www.trustinfood.com

The immense productivity of the American farmer has benefitted the world. By harnessing ingenuity and technology, farmers have produced enough food, feed, fiber and fuel to improve the quality of life for billions. There have been seminal moments: mechanization, the Green Revolution, advanced breeding and genetically modified organism (GMO) technology. Now, amid an inflection point with new challenges, producers have another opportunity to employ innovation for the advancement of people and prosperity in this country and others around the world.

“I think we’re at a really critical time,” says Wendy Srnic, vice president, seeds research and development (R&D) for Corteva Agriscience. “Recent events have highlighted the importance of things we already know. The challenges facing farmers right now–to feed a rapidly growing world in a climate-positive way that preserves their land for generations to come–have never been as acute as they are now.”

Fortunately, farmers aren’t alone in their plight to be more productive and profitable. Agriculture input companies–especially research-based entities–are delivering new products, technologies and innovations to help meet the needs of specific operations to maximize every acre.

Intrinsic Sustainability

Corteva has worked to improve productivity on the farm for almost 100 years. During that time, it has been one of the major drivers of R&D for advanced seed and crop protection products that have driven corn yields from 25 bushels per acre to about 175 bushels per acre today. That journey in production performance means farmers are producing more food on less land and naturally using fewer chemicals, less water and less fertilizer per bushel. The incremental improvement through the years translates into an underlying sustainability journey for American agriculture that Corteva has helped power through continuous innovation.

“Let’s look at the footprint of what yield increases mean. Had we not improved corn yields to their current levels, we would need to plant nearly one out of every 4 acres of total land in the continental United States to produce that amount of grain,” Srnic shared. “That’s a magnificent example of how sustainability is inherently aligned with our business.”

In addition to producing more on less land, GMOs and the development of new production systems have mitigated the amount and number of chemistries needed to control pests. Those systems also create the foundation for additional conservation practices, such as no-till farming, which are more feasible when weeds are under systemic control.

“We’ve been on this journey to implement sustainable innovation for a while, even before the current focus,” Srnic says. “Now we are solidifying the innovational philosophies we want to maintain and raising the bar to see how can we do it better.”

More in the Pipeline

Seed development and green chemistries are part of the journey that Corteva has prioritized in its sustainable innovation efforts. On the chemistry side, the company has nine products that carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Reduced Risk label and it has earned six Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge awards. Its biological portfolio is growing too, as integrated pest management strategies become more widely adopted in diverse growing environments.

In the seed business, the iterations of its blockbuster products continue to improve yields, input efficiencies, disease and pest resistance, environmental adaptation and plant health. Environmental change is playing a part in creating more resiliency traits as weather extremes challenge traditional growing geographies and production agriculture spreads to new geographies.

Srnic shares some examples of the latest technologies including:

Qrome corn products for rootworm control: “What we’ve seen is a really nice yield bump from products with that trait because healthier plants that have tolerance against rootworm equals healthier roots and healthier plants that can survive drought and other stress.”

Enlist weed control system for soybeans, cotton and corn: Stacked herbicide tolerance provides “a great option for weed control and battles some very difficult weeds that have developed a resistance to glyphosate and other chemicals that we’ve been using in our crops for many years.”

Optimum AQUAmax hybrids to improve drought performance: “With our AQUAmax pipeline for drought and water use, we screen our new genetics in robust drought environments to see which ones rise to the top and direct them to the markets where they have a unique fit. We have strong pipelines that we continually innovate to bring improvement to our customers.”
While Corteva’s biotech and hybrid pipelines remain strong, its gene editing technologies might be one of the most exciting and impactful innovations. These technologies provide the ability to accelerate genetics and trait improvements, and the time in which they can be brought to market.

“Gene editing is a sweet spot helping us move more quickly than breeding, and with less complexity than developing a biotech trait. For example, we can bring multiple disease resistance genes together providing a more durable disease defense,” Srnic says. “We’re solving challenges in a more accelerated way through gene editing. We’re leaning into gene editing, tackling problems that typically would require very long and complicated breeding processes, so we can deliver better solutions to our customers.”

Much of that breeding innovation will hit the market in the next 10-15 years as regulatory frameworks on gene editing continue to develop around the world. The USDA has indicated that it views the technology favorably, and gene-edited crops are entering the US market. Europe is currently developing regulatory guidelines that would distinguish the regulation of gene-edited crops from that of GMO crops. For commodities such as corn and soybeans, a transparent global regulatory framework must be established to ensure American farmers will have access to innovations and markets for their crops.

While gene-edited traits and characteristics are a few years away, science-based R&D companies such as Corteva are developing a healthy pipeline of ideas and potential products that could usher in a new era of seed performance, mitigating a host of biotic and abiotic stressors.

Farmers As Collaborators

Of course, every bit of this innovation is dependent on engaging farmers to identify challenges and help test solutions. R&D has a long tail, so it remains crucial to begin the process early with feedback from farmers to keep priorities aligned with the on- farm challenges they face.

“Our field teams conduct their research in our farmer’s fields, and we rely on their feedback to identify the problems we work to solve,” Srnic says. “The research process is long and those targets change over time. Conversations with our customers help guide where we innovate and evaluate the value we can create with those solutions.”

Customer farms are also essential for testing during the development process. Test plots and university trials are important to the process but finding unique locations that can put a technology through practical rigors ultimately yields the most viable and beneficial products for specific growing environments.

“As we get close to commercialization, widespread trials are conducted right there on farmers’ fields. We have trials spread across many farms and environments spanning our target markets so farmers have the ability to get in the fields with their sales representatives, and look at the technology. We want them to see how the technology works and tell us what they think,” Srnic explains.

“For our seed and the crop protection business, we work with farmers to test these products while we want to get products into the farmers’ hands when they are being developed. We want to help them understand the potential of that technology, how it’s designed, and make sure it’s going to be successful when it reaches commercialization.”

Deep farmer focus and collaboration is what will ultimately enable Corteva to create the most viable technologies to help farmers meet the challenges they’ll face in the next 10 years and beyond. As the challenges mount, farmers have an opportunity to meet burgeoning demand with sustainable solutions that are driven by their influence on the next generation of inputs and technologies.

“The only way to resolve the trifecta of population growth, climate change and sustainability is through innovation and technology,” Srnic concludes. “We also need safe, predictive and science-based regulation so we can get impactful tools and technologies into farmers’ hands faster because the clock is ticking. We’ve got a great opportunity to deliver the solutions farmers need to address these problems but we need sustainable innovation as a core tool to accomplish this goal.”

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