Pairwise is known for introducing the first gene-edited foods to the United States market.
Short-stature corn – with a targeted height of 30 to 40 percent shorter than traditional corn – is seen as important in face of increasingly severe weather events and extreme winds and allows for more precise application of inputs throughout the growing season, Bayer said.
The initial five-year multi-milion-dollar collaboration focused on corn, soy, wheat, cotton and canola aims to reduce crop inputs and yields.
Results of collaborations so far “demonstrated significant commercial value including edited corn phenotypes with a 20 percent increase in kernel row numbers, which could lead to significantly more yield on the same number of acres.
“Another outcome has been edited soy that reduces the severity of Asian soybean rust, potentially reducing the need for fungicides to combat the disease and protecting the potential for higher yields,” Bayer said.
