Ames, Iowa
June 3, 2009
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, and
Becker Underwood,
Ames, Iowa, have signed a commercial licensing agreement
granting Becker Underwood exclusive rights to patented
nitrogen-fixing technology developed by a team of McGill
researchers. Becker Underwood is a developer, marketer and
producer of bioagronomic products for agriculture.
“We’re extremely pleased that McGill University selected Becker
Underwood as the company to lead the development and
commercialization of this exciting new technology,” said Eda
Reinot, head of research and development for Becker Underwood.
“We believe this technology will be an important tool in our
efforts to develop and introduce new and modern inoculant
products that deliver a greater return to the producers who use
them.”
Legumes such as soybeans, peanuts, peas, lentils and alfalfa
form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia
bacteria. This relationship begins with the plant naturally
secreting certain compounds called flavonoids (plant
metabolites). When these flavonoids are sensed by the rhizobia,
Reinot explained, they begin to produce and excrete the
compounds needed to stimulate formation of nodules on the roots
of the plant. The bacteria populate the nodule as it is forming.
Inside the nodule, the bacteria are protected from environmental
threats and receive nutrients that they need for survival from
the plant. In return, the rhizobia bacteria capture nitrogen
from the atmosphere and convert it into a nitrogen form that the
plant can use for growth and crop production.
The technology licensed to Becker Underwood involves a fatty
acid compound shown to be highly effective in stimulating
rhizobia to produce the substances needed for increased nodule
formation and greater nitrogen fixation. With this technology
incorporated into the company’s high-performing rhizobial
inoculant products, producers of soybean, peanut, pea, lentil
and alfalfa crops are expected to realize improved crop yields.
The McGill University team which developed the patent-protected
technology was led by Dr. Donald L. Smith, chair of the Plant
Science Department and a James McGill professor. Dr. Smith was
joined by Dr. Fazli Mabood of McGill University and Dr. Hao
Zhang, now a research scientist at ImmunoScience, Inc.,
Pleasanton, California. Other details of the agreement were not
disclosed.
“At a time when fossil fuel costs are likely to require the
development of less energy-dependent inputs, it is key to be
looking for bio-inputs to take the place of chemical ones,” said
Dr. Smith. “The green tissues of plants are the place where
almost all energy enters the biosphere. As a result, a plant
growing in the field is not a singular and sterile entity; it is
a community.
“Many of the associated micro-organisms have evolved over very
long periods to live in association with plants,” he continued.
“In some cases, this has led to associations that, through
various mechanisms, improve the ability of plants to grow. There
is still much to be drawn from these relationships; and through
its relationship with McGill University, Becker-Underwood is
positioning itself to bring these benefits to those producing
food for all of us.”
“We are excited by the opportunity to bring this new technology
to the marketplace and wish to extend a special thanks to Dr.
Cherif Aidara, officer at McGill’s Office of the Vice-Principal
of Research and International Relations, for his invaluable
assistance in the successful execution of this technology
transfer agreement,” Reinot concluded.
Becker Underwood anticipates commercial availability of its
first products incorporating this patented new technology for
the 2010 spring planting season. Additional new products
utilizing the technology are expected in 2011 and beyond.
Becker Underwood, Inc., founded in 1982, is an international
developer of bio-agronomic and specialty products. In addition
to being the leading manufacturer of seed coatings and
colorants, the company is also the leading global producer of
inoculants, beneficial nematodes, and a wide range of
agricultural and horticultural products. To learn more about its
products, visit the company’s Web site at
www.BeckerUnderwood.com.
McGill University, founded in Montreal, Quebec in 1821, is
Canada’s leading post-secondary institution. It has two
campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of
study and more than 34,000 students. McGill attracts students
from more than 160 countries around the world. Almost half of
McGill students claim a first language other than English –
including 6,000 Francophones – with more than 6,400
international students making up almost 20 percent of the
student body.
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