Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. today announced that it has licensed its salt tolerance technology to Cal/West Seeds, Inc. for use in the development of salt-tolerant alfalfa. 

Under the agreement, Cal/West will hold exclusive worldwide rights to develop and market alfalfa seed products that contain Arcadia’s salt-tolerant genes.  Cal/West, a leading developer and marketer of proprietary alfalfa varieties, currently sells alfalfa seeds in the world’s primary alfalfa crop regions, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia and the Middle East. 

“Salt-damaged soil is a significant problem in many alfalfa growing areas and has a negative impact on annual crop yields,” said Eric Rey, president of Arcadia Biosciences.  “The combination of Cal/West’s proprietary genetics and experience in the alfalfa market with Arcadia’s salt-tolerance technology can offer alfalfa growers an environmentally sound way to significantly increase crop productivity on salt-affected land.”

“Adding ‘Value Through Innovation’ in Research is a cornerstone of our business. The Arcadia technology presents a great opportunity for Cal/West, the seed companies we serve as well as alfalfa hay producers. Successful development and commercialization of this technology is of primary importance to our company,” said Paul Frey, President/CEO Cal/West Seeds.

Soil salinity is both a natural and human-induced problem.  Human-induced salinity is most often created through the prolonged and intensive use of irrigation to grow crops.  More than 77 million hectares of agricultural land is impacted by salinity worldwide.  Arcadia’s salt-tolerance technology allows plants to flourish in salt-impacted soil, improving yields and profitability for farmers.

Beyond its work with alfalfa, Arcadia has developed salt-tolerant canola and tomatoes, and is expanding its research programs to focus on other crops including, rice and wheat.

Based in Davis, Calif., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural biotechnology company focused on the development of profitable agricultural products that improve the environmental and enhance human health. 

Cal/West Seeds is one of the original private forage breeding firms in the US. with over 70 years of experience.  Today, Cal/West Seeds maintains a membership of several hundred member growers, ranking it as the largest member-owned seed production cooperative in the United States. The company is headquartered in Woodland, California and is headed up by a ten-member board of directors and four operating officers. For the past three and a half decades, the company's major research efforts have centered around the development and production of proprietary alfalfa varieties for marketing to customers throughout the world.