© Reuters.
SAN DIEGO – Cibus Inc. (NASDAQ:CBUS), a pioneer in agricultural gene-editing technology, has formed a development agreement with Loveland Products Inc., a subsidiary of Nutrien Ltd. (TSX and NYSE: NYSE:), to enhance herbicide tolerance in rice crops, specifically targeting the southern U.S. market.
This collaboration aims to integrate Cibus’s gene-editing capabilities with Loveland’s advanced rice seed genetics to address weed management challenges faced by American rice growers.
Under the agreement, the companies will work together to commercialize new traits within Loveland’s elite rice seed genetics, utilizing Cibus’s proprietary Trait Machine™ system. This system is a part of Cibus’s Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS), which allows for precision breeding without integrating foreign DNA, resulting in traits that are indistinguishable from those developed through conventional breeding.
The partnership is expected to provide rice growers with innovative solutions to combat weeds, which have been a significant concern in agriculture, with an estimated global economic impact of $300 billion annually according to the United Nations. The Trait Machine™ system has already been developed for canola and rice, with Cibus transferring edited germplasm back to customers.
Cibus is recognized for its gene-edited productivity traits that address key productivity and sustainability challenges for farmers, such as diseases and pests. The company is not a seed producer but licenses its traits to seed companies in exchange for royalties on seed sales. Its focus includes major global crops such as canola, rice, soybean, and wheat.
Nutrien, the parent company of Loveland Products, is a leading provider of crop inputs and services. It is committed to feeding a growing world population sustainably and operates a comprehensive network of production, distribution, and ag retail facilities.
This development agreement is a forward-looking statement that involves risks and uncertainties, including the potential for changes in competition, intellectual property protection challenges, and regulatory developments. The companies’ actual results and the success of the collaboration may differ materially from current expectations.
The information presented in this article is based on a press release statement.
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This story originally appeared on Investing
