Strategic alliance for plant biotech research is renewed

Saskatoon, SK – Dow AgroSciences Canada says it has renewed a strategic alliance with the National Research Council Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC-PBI) of Saskatoon for an additional five-year term.

“This third five-year term of the alliance further leverages PBI and Dow AgroSciences research and product development,” said Jim Wispinski, president for Dow AgroSciences Canada. “Our ongoing and future collaborations promise innovative breakthroughs that will have a significant impact on canola growers and value chain partners by enhancing quality and productivity; ultimately creating more value for Canadian canola.”

The research goals of the strategic alliance include the development of enabling technologies and the development and production of new oil profiles for industry and health. The agreement also includes research into improvements in agronomic productivity and increased yield. The collaboration with NRC-PBI will further benefit from the 2008 expansion of Dow AgroSciences Canada’s Research Station in Saskatoon into discovery research. The company says substantial benefits are also expected from ongoing collaboration with Dow AgroSciences’ Indianapolis R&D programs.

In 1999, NRC and Dow AgroSciences Canada also signed a five-year agreement for research in canola and enabling technologies. This prior collaboration led to discoveries including the development of canola plants which produce higher levels of oil and canola meal with reduced levels of anti-nutritional factors. The agreement was renewed in 2004 for an additional five years.