Dow AgroSciences Exclusively Licenses Crop Enhancement Technology

Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, entered into an exclusive commercial license agreement with Plant Bioscience Limited (PBL) for technology that enhances the root systems of plants with important implications for crop improvement.

The technology was developed by Dr. Liam Dolan and his colleagues at the John Innes Centre (JIC). The team cloned and characterized genes that may play vital roles in anchorage, water use, and nutrient uptake in plants. The genes are highly conserved among land plants, and the technology has already been shown to be effective in enhancing root systems in transgenic plants of major crops around the world.

“Dow AgroSciences is excited to be collaborating with one of the most respected organizations in the biotechnology industry,” said Dan Kittle, Ph.D., vice president for research and development at Dow AgroSciences. “By combining our expertise in biotech crops and PBL’s innovative technology from JIC, we have the opportunity to enhance a plant’s ability to survive stress, increase nturient utilization, and provide yield stability in challenging years or in parts of the world where there are less than favorable growing conditions.”

The technology could bring improved crop varieties to the agricultural market and help open new markets.

“The commercial license covers a range of important crops. “Our research aims to answer key questions in biology and to provide solutions to important problems in food security, energy production, promoting health, and combating disease,” said professor Dale Sanders, director of the John Innes Centre. “The technology was born out of basic research in nutirent uptake by plants and demonstrates the importance to agriculture of answering fundamental questions.”

For more information, go to www.pbltechnology.com or www.dowagro.com.