Technology provides new paradigm for seed production

Cibus LLC, the U.S. plant breeding technology company, recently announced a collaboration with the National Grain Sorghum Producers Foundation to develop and commercialize new traits directed toward the sorghum industry using Cibus' proprietary non-GM gene conversion technology known as the Rapid Trait Development System.

This collaboration could transform the way seeds with new traits are produced, while answering the concerns that surround genetically modified crops. "For the first time since GMO products hit the market more than a decade ago, there is a viable technology that can replicate the attributes of certain GMO crops without the introduction of foreign genetic material," said Dr. Keith Walker, president of Cibus. "RTDS is an environmentally safe, smart-breeding technology that enables seed producers to develop plants with commercially valuable characteristics. Unlike genetic engineering, which takes exotic genetic material from one species and inserts it into another, thus producing GMO crops, RTDS introduces genetic traits through a natural process of gene repair within the very same plant species." RTDS operates exclusively within the genome of the plant, just like normal plant breeding, and thus eliminates environmental and health risks as well as other unintended and unknown consequences associated with GMO crops.

Cibus technology produces changes within a plant species that could only occur in nature, but it does so in a directed way. Thanks in part to recent advancements in genome mapping, RTDS is more precise and much faster than traditional hit-and-miss plant breeding and transgenic breeding technology, both of which can take years to perfect a trait. Cibus technology delivers the advantages that farmers seek in GMO crops such as herbicide tolerance or increased yield, but also benefits from the clear path to market and consumer confidence of traditionally bred plants. Cibus' regulatory advantage and the speed of this plant breeding technology promise the greatly accelerated development of new value added traits in readily accepted crops.

For Sorghum growers, this technology promises a host of commercially valuable traits. "The partnership with Cibus offers sorghum producers the unique ability to control their future by taking trait development into their own hands," said Dr. Bruce Maunder, president of the National Grain Sorghum Producers Foundation. "The sorghum industry has been in transition as it continues to consolidate into a few large players. Although we have good working relationships with the major seed companies, sorghum is a low priority for the application of biotechnology resources. Primary research and commercial focuses are corn, soybeans and cotton."

David Voss, vice president of Commercial Development for Cibus, said: "Cibus' RTDS plant breeding technology constitutes a significant breakthrough for both the sorghum industry and the seed industry in general. The worldwide Genetically Modified debate has caused major barriers for technology companies to develop new traits for agriculture. This is particularly true for smaller acreage crops like sorghum as regulatory burdens to bring new transgenic traits to market are cost prohibited. RTDS offers the seed industry a viable alternative. We look forward to working with the National Grain Sorghum Producers Foundation and other commercial partners in applying the RTDS technology to a growing list of crops in the coming years."

"The Cibus scientific team has worked diligently for a number of years to bring this proprietary technology to practice," said Walker. "We have now accomplished this in several crops, including canola and rice, and so it is very gratifying to be moving into the commercialization phase with this exciting trait development system. It's personally gratifying that RTDS can be used in a such a grass roots development project with the National Grain Sorghum Producers Foundation that will directly benefit the American farmer not only with non-GM traits that will improve their farming operation income, but also generating future downstream royalties that can be used to develop other traits that directly benefit the sorghum industry."

"Like many farmers, I need sorghum in my crop rotation," said National Sorghum Producers President Greg Shelor of Minneola, Kan. "But to increase profitability, we have some basic needs like better grass and weed control technology. We also need to increase our yields."

These comments are consistent with a recent market research study conducted by Kansas State University surveying more than 600 sorghum producers from across the United States that identified grassy weed control, improved yield, drought tolerance and new uses or markets for sorghum grain as the most important areas for research.

"Sorghum producers must take control of their own destiny--we can't afford to passively sit on the sidelines and hope that others will develop enhanced traits for us," added NSP CEO Tim Lust. "Our foundation elected to collaborate with Cibus for several reasons.

First, as a small, privately held company, Cibus is easy to work with and willing to share the value created with their technology. NGSPF plans to use revenues derived from this partnership along with producer dollars to reinvest in sorghum variety development, creating a long-term program for sorghum improvement. Second, Cibus has a proven technology with a strong patent estate using RTDS, a system that can develop non-GM traits faster and at lower cost than transgenic alternatives. Third, unlike transgenic crops, RTDS's all natural crops can go to market directly and will not be subjected to any GMO labeling requirements--RTDS technology can save farmers an estimated $25 million per crop in the United States in regulatory costs. For sorghum producers, this is a clear win."

Date: 12/21/06

	Web hpj.com

Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008.  High Plains Publishers, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com