Benson Hill Biosystems, an agricultural technology company unlocking the genetic potential of plants, today announced a strategic partnership and grant from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
The primary goal of the funding and partnership initiative will be to accelerate breeding and development of new corn hybrids utilizing CropOS™, a cognitive engine that uses cloud biology to empower a new era of plant genomics innovation, subsequently introducing new choices for growers in the U.S. corn marketplace.
In an era of unprecedented agriculture industry consolidation, innovation in corn genetics is being further limited to a few large companies with budgets for significant R&D investment. Benson Hill's CropOS platform empowers organizations of any size to innovate and provide growers choice, whether that be for disease, maturity or specific environmental requirements. With a handful of companies owning roughly 85 percent of the corn market, there is limited incentive to address more geographic-specific needs; Benson Hill's CropOS opens up new research opportunities.
"The financial and broader support of NCGA underscores our opportunity to empower innovation and help level the playing field for those seeking to develop high performing varieties, even on a local or regional level," said Benson Hill Co-Founder and CEO Matthew Crisp. "The more responsive and competitive the industry is, the better equipped growers will be to sustainably meet demand for increasingly diverse solutions that benefit farms, communities, consumers and our society."
CropOS's ability to remove barriers to innovation directly aligns with NCGA's mission to "create and increase opportunities for corn growers." This association represents more than 40,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide and the interests of more than 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs.
Click here to see more...