Davis, California
April 9, 2009
Improvement in salt tolerance
technology to increase productivity and decrease fresh water
requirements for 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 that the
companies have reached a research and commercial development
agreement for the development of Salt Tolerant sorghum. Under
terms of the agreement, Advanta receives exclusive global rights
to the use of Arcadia’s Salt Tolerance technology in sorghum.
Arcadia receives an upfront payment, milestone payments and a
share of commercial sales revenue. This agreement builds upon
the agreement the two companies reached in January 2009 for the
development of Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) sorghum.
Sorghum is an important feed crop grown on more than 100 million
acres globally. As the world’s population grows, the need to
produce more food and feed will increase pressure on fresh water
resources for crops. Using existing sorghum varieties, farmers
will need more land to grow sorghum crops and require more
scarce water resources to achieve much-needed yield increases.
Therefore, the ability to reduce reliance on fresh water and
maintain high crop yields in salt-impacted environments is
critical. Arcadia's Salt Tolerance technology allows plants to
produce normal yields and quality under salty water and soil
conditions, expanding the range of lands available for crop
production and reducing requirements for fresh water. The
expected result is high-yielding crops with a lower impact on
the environment and ability to grow on land that is currently
not suitable for productive farming.
In addition, sweet sorghum is a highly productive potential
biofuel source. Through the combination of technologies like NUE
and Salt Tolerance, Arcadia and Advanta anticipate development
of a highly-efficient sweet sorghum biofuel crop that can create
an alternative fuel source with significantly reduced
environmental impact, low requirements for fresh water, and more
favorable economics than other potential biofuel sources.
“Considering the global importance of sorghum as a food source
and the increased interest in the crop as a source of renewable
energy, it’s critical to utilize new agricultural technologies
that maximize the crop’s potential and minimize its
environmental impact,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of
Arcadia. “Development of Salt Tolerant 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.”
“This is a step in the direction of fulfilling our promise to
deliver the latest technologies to the sorghum farmers around
the world. We believe in the future of sorghum in the world and
are fully committed to bringing about a greater role for
technology in this crop. We are glad to be associated with
Arcadia Biosciences in this effort,” said VR Kaundinya, CEO and
Managing Director of Advanta.
Based in Davis, California, 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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