Davis, California
January 15, 2009
Improvement in fertilizer use
efficiency to increase on-farm productivity and decrease
environmental impact of sorghum farming
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.,
an agricultural technology company focused on developing
technologies and products that benefit the environment and human
health, and Advanta, a
leading multinational seed company, today announced completion
of a research and commercial development agreement for the
development of Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) sorghum. Under terms
of the agreement, Advanta receives exclusive global rights to
the use of Arcadia’s NUE technology in sorghum. Arcadia receives
an upfront payment, milestone payments and a share of commercial
sales.
Sorghum is an important feed crop that is grown on more than 100
million acres globally. In addition, sweet sorghum is a highly
productive potential biofuel source. Like most grain crops,
sorghum is extremely dependent upon nitrogen fertilizer to
achieve attractive commercial yields. Also like most grain
crops, it is an inefficient user of nitrogen—barely more than
half of the nitrogen applied to sorghum fields is utilized for
plant growth. As a result, the remainder may run off into area
waterways or volatize as nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
Availability of NUE sorghum varieties can significantly reduce
the amount of nitrogen farmers apply to fields, which can
increase on-farm productivity and profitability while decreasing
the potential environmental impacts from nitrogen fertilizer
use. Reduced use of nitrogen fertilizer will also reduce the
carbon footprint and increase the net energy of biofuels based
on sorghum crops.
“While it does not have as much widespread visibility as other
grain crops, sorghum is an extremely important global crop, and
its importance will continue to grow as a function of the
increasing interest in biofuels. Development of NUE sorghum
varieties can help farmers who produce sorghum for feed or fuel
to farm more efficiently, cost-effectively and in a way that’s
better for our global environment,” said Eric Rey, president and
CEO of Arcadia. “Advanta is a world leader in sorghum seed
development, distribution and sales and are the perfect partner
for this program.”
“This is an important step forward for us in our effort to bring
the latest technologies to the sorghum farmers around the world.
By increasing the efficiency of the sorghum plants in their
utilization of nitrogen we will be able to enhance the yields,
reduce the consumption of nitrogen and eventually reduce the
costs for the farmer. We are very excited by this development,”
said VR Kaundinya, CEO and managing director of Advanta.
“Arcadia has a leadership position in the NUE technology and we
are very happy to partner with them in this process.”
About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.
Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle,
Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural
technology company focused on the development of agricultural
products that improve the environment and enhance human health.
For more information visit
www.arcadiabio.com.
Advanta is a global seed company located in India with a wide
range of proprietary products in important crops that improve
the productivity and profitability of the farmers in different
parts of the world. Advanta is a member of the United
Phosphorous Group of Companies. For more information visit
www.advantaindia.com.
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