In Iowa and Israel, DuPont Pioneer and Evogene Ltd announced a multiyear collaboration that includes the research and development of microbiome-based seed treatments in corn. The goal of the collaboration is to provide farmers with innovative bio-stimulant seed treatment products that protect and maximize corn yield.
Microbiomes are microbial communities that reside on or within the plant’s immediate microbial environment and play a significant role in plant health. Bio-stimulants are agricultural biologic products, which increase crop yield and resilience to environmental stress by enhancing desirable plant characteristics and promoting efficient use of nutrient inputs.
DuPont will provide access to its seed treatment application technology and product development expertise. Evogene will apply its predictive computational biology platform to decipher plant/microbiome interactions. The collaboration will work to develop a next generation of bio-stimulant products aimed at demonstrating high performance standards and consistency criteria across a range of corn varieties and global locations.