Verdeca, a soybean technology joint venture between Bioceres and Arcadia Biosciences, and GDM Seeds, a leading South American soybean seed company, announced the completion of an agreement to develop and commercialize new soybean varieties based on Verdeca’s HB4 stress-tolerance technology. HB4 technology enables plants to adapt to multiple stresses and achieve higher yields. The agreement and collaboration leverage Verdeca’s technology and regulatory expertise, and GDM Seeds’ world-class soybean germplasm and breeding capabilities.

Verdeca’s HB4 stress-tolerant soybeans have completed six seasons of multi-location field trials in Argentina and the United States, including two years of extensive regulatory trials. The results of these trials demonstrate that HB4 technology provides a consistent and significant yield advantage under multiple environmental stress conditions typically found in soybean production areas.

Under the collaboration, GDM Seeds will develop and commercialize proprietary soybean varieties incorporating HB4 stress-tolerance technology. Integration of the HB4® trait into the GDM Seeds soybean breeding program has been in progress under an earlier research agreement.

“GDM Seeds is one of the most respected names in the soybean seed industry, with a significant market share in South America, which accounts for 49% of global soybean planted area,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia Biosciences. “The Verdeca/GDM Seeds collaboration will create significant value for soybean growers and end markets by increasing the productivity and sustainability of the world’s most important protein crop.”

“The combination of GDM Seeds’ elite germplasm with Verdeca’s proven HB4 stress-tolerance technology and regulatory capabilities creates an exciting opportunity to fundamentally change the landscape of the soybean business in South America,” said Federico Trucco, CEO of Bioceres.

Grown on 112 million hectares globally, soybeans are the world’s fourth-largest crop. Nearly 44% of the world’s soybeans are grown in Argentina and Brazil. Growth in global population, combined with a growing middle-class in countries such as China and India, create an ever-increasing demand for dietary protein from soybeans.

“GDM Seeds invests in breeding programs and new technologies to develop better soybean varieties and bring those varieties to farmers through its brands Don Mario and Brasmax as well as its licensing partners,” said Gerardo Bartolome, president of GDM Seeds. “The combination of our elite germplasm and an innovative technology like HB4 should give farmers a very valuable tool to help increase their productivity.”

Source - http://www.agprofessional.com/