Using Genomics to Improve Corn

NCGA and its state partners were extremely successful in focusing attention and resources towards the sequencing of the corn genome. This success has opened the door into the next phase of corn genomics, namely applying the information that we have gained to produce valuable corn crops. The Maize Trait Development program is in the initial stages of finding organizations that have discovered traits of interest to our growers and partnering with them to bring these traits to market.

NCGA is in contract negotiations with an innovative St. Louis biotech company, Divergence Incorporated. Divergence is developing traits that will confer resistance to nematodes, an important pathogen of corn. The USDA estimates that nematodes cause $80 billion in damage to crops worldwide, with $1 billion in damage in corn alone. In addition, many of the chemicals that farmers use to control nematodes are going to be removed from the market, severely limiting the options available for control of these important pathogens.

Divergence is just one of many innovative research organizations focusing on improving the value of the corn crop. The NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team is working to identify these companies and to help them develop valuable traits for the corn industry.