SAN DIEGO – Cibus Inc. (NASDAQ:CBUS), a pioneer in gene editing technologies for agriculture, has entered into a development agreement with Loveland Products Inc., a subsidiary of nutrients Ltd. (TSX and NYSE: NYSE:) to improve 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 control challenges facing U.S. rice growers.
Under the agreement, the companies will work together to commercialize new qualities of Loveland’s elite rice seed genetics using the patented Cibus Trait Machine™ system. The system is part of Cibus’s Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS), which allows precision selection without the integration of foreign DNA, resulting in traits indistinguishable from those developed through traditional breeding.
The partnership is expected to provide rice farmers with innovative solutions to control weeds, which are a major 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, and Cibus transfers the edited germplasm back to customers.
Cibus is known for its gene-edited performance traits that address key productivity and sustainability issues for farmers, such as disease and pests. The company is not a seed producer, but licenses its products to seed companies in exchange for royalties on seed sales. The focus is on major world crops such as rapeseed, rice, soybeans and wheat.
Nutrien, the parent company of Loveland Products, is a leading provider of crop inputs and services. The company is committed to sustainably feeding the world’s growing population and operates an extensive network of agricultural production, marketing and retail businesses.
This development agreement is a forward-looking statement that involves risks and uncertainties, including potential changes in competition, intellectual property issues and regulatory changes. The companies’ actual results and the success of the collaboration may differ materially from current expectations.
The information provided in this article is based on a press statement.
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