Winnipeg seed firm BrettYoung has signed a deal to market the results of San Diego crop genetics firm Cibus Global as it applies rapid, yet non-GMO, trait development techniques to canola.
Under their agreement, announced Dec. 9, Cibus is to develop “unique” crop protection and “performance enhancement” traits for canola using its patent-protected Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS). BrettYoung is then to bring the traits to market through its seed distribution network in Canada and the U. S.
Cibus said it has “far-reaching plans” to develop additional traits in canola such as shatter tolerance, improved biofuel feedstock attributes and healthier oils.
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RTDS has been recognized by the U. S. Department of Agriculture as a mutagenesis technique, the company said. Thus, RTDS-bred crops aren’t considered genetically modified (GM) for regulatory purposes.
The process would use canola’s “natural process of gene repair” to spur a precise change in its genetic sequence, the companies said in a release.
“Cibus’ initial crop protection trait for canola and oilseed rape has demonstrated significant commercial potential through field trials that yielded successful and robust results,” Cibus president Keith Walker said in the companies’ release.
