Dow AgroSciences — At It Again
June 12, 2008 Dow AgroScience LLC has completed key research and added more deals since the expansions announced in last week’s CropLife eNews.
• Dow AgroSciences LLC and Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. have successfully completed research milestones as part of their joint Research and Commercial License Agreement. These milestones represent the successful application of Sangamo’s zinc finger DNA-binding protein (ZFP) technology to the generation of specific traits in two major crop species — corn and canola.
The ZFP technology can accelerate the process of ‘trait stacking,’ which will result in a shorter path to commercialization of crops containing new traits and also can be used in precision gene control. Sangamo’s SFP transcription factor (ZFP TF) technology has enabled Dow AgroSciences scientists to regulate a canola gene involved in a key step of oil biosynthesis and to change the metabolic profile of plant tissue.
• Dow AgroSciences and Mycogen Seeds will expand and move their current corn breeding field station to a new location in Mt. Vernon, IN. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin in June and is expected to be completed by December.
The new Mt. Vernon site will provide expanded working and storage space to allow for continued growth. The new facilities will include an office and seed lab building as well as an equipment storage building with a heated shop area. The new facility is expected to have approximately 7,200 square feet for the office/seed lab building and approximately 8,400 square feet for the equipment storage building.
• In the soybean market, Dow AgroSciences has entered into a long-term, non-exclusive agreement with Mertec LLC and M.S. Technologies LLC. The trio will jointly develop and commercialize several innovative technologies for use in soybeans globally. Under the agreement, Dow AgroSciences and M.S. Technologies will combine proprietary technologies with Mertec’s soybean germplasm. These products will be available first to U.S. soybean growers with an option to expand globally.
The first product launch will be Dow AgroSciences’ Herbicide Tolerance 2 (DHT2) trait that will provide tolerance to the herbicide 2,4-D. The estimated time for launch is 2013. Following the DHT2 trait will be the development of other technologies including a glyphosate tolerant and 2,4-D tolerant combination.
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