San Diego, California, USA and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
December 9, 2009
RTDS technology improves yields and delivers crop protection traits without importing foreign genetic material
Cibus Global, a pioneering crop trait development firm, and BrettYoung, a leading independent seed company, today announced an agreement that will bring new canola traits to the North American market. Through the partnership, Cibus will develop unique crop protection and performance enhancement traits for canola using its patented Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS™). BrettYoung will bring the value-added traits to market through its seed distribution network in the United States and Canada.
RTDS is an environmentally safe trait development procedure that will use canola’s natural process of gene repair to effect a precise change in the genetic sequence. By mimicking natural methods in a highly targeted way, RTDS technology avoids the introduction of foreign genetic material into plants. RTDS has been recognized by the USDA as a mutagenesis technique, and is therefore not subject to the regulations applied to transgenic (or GM) crops. Mutagenesis-derived crops and traits are produced around the globe in a number of food categories, including food grains (rice, oats and durum wheat), vegetable oil crops (sunflower, canola and flax), beer ingredients (barley, hops and yeast) and seedless fruits (grapes and citrus fruits).
“Cibus’ initial crop protection trait for canola and oilseed rape has demonstrated significant commercial potential through field trials that yielded successful and robust results,” said Keith Walker, President, Cibus Global. “We look forward to introducing its economic benefits to farmers over the next several years, as the first among many such environmentally responsible crop traits we plan to bring to market.”
“Offering the ability to create specific traits more precisely and much faster than conventional plant breeding or other techniques, Cibus’ RTDS technology marks a considerable development for agriculture, in North America and beyond,” said Calvin Sonntag, co-Chief Executive Officer, BrettYoung. “Our collaboration will deliver enhanced canola seed products that meet the ever-evolving needs and demands of our customers. We are confident the market response will be positive.”
“This agreement with BrettYoung, along with our recent $37 million Development Alliance with Mahkteshim-Agan, puts in place the commercial infrastructure for a successful launch of our first non-GMO crop traits in both North America and Europe," said Stephen Evans-Freke, Chairman of the Board, Cibus Global.
The North American market for canola traits covers approximately 16 million acres with an annual trait value of $240 million. This same trait will be marketed in Europe with other seed partners; the European market for oil seed rape traits has a value of 450 million Euros annual revenue on 6.5 million hectares. Cibus has far-reaching plans to develop additional yield and performance enhancement traits in canola, including shatter tolerance, improved bio-energy feed stock attributes and healthier oils.
Cibus Global develops advantageous crop traits with far-reaching implications in agriculture, alternative energy and product development. Through its proprietary Rapid Trait Development System (RTDSTM), Cibus creates traits in a directed way with more precision than traditional breeding techniques and without the introduction of foreign genetic material. RTDS has proven itself in the laboratory with several different applications, as well as in initial field trials of Cibus’ first commercial crop, canola. Cibus’ products will be brought to market through a number of strategic partnerships; in September 2009, Cibus announced an alliance with Israeli-based Makhteshim-Agan to develop proprietary traits in five crops with a European focus.
BrettYoung is a privately owned agribusiness with headquarters in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Proud of our 75 year history in agriculture, we employ approximately 200 people in 5 processing and distribution facilities in Western Canada and in various sales territories across North America serving customers in three distinct markets. We partner with growers to produce forage and turf seed for export to 40 countries around the world. We also provide crop input solutions to Canadian and US farmers, including BrettYoung canola and forage seed, Elite® brand corn and soybean seed, seed enhancements, harvest management solutions, such as Pod Ceal® DC, and proprietary biological growth promoting technology, BioBoost™, for canola and soybeans. Additionally, we provide a wide range of products and services to the professional turf and reclamation markets in Western Canada.
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