Purdue issues license for ‘short corn’ variant to Indiana seed company
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A variant of short-stature corn developed by a Purdue University researcher has been licensed to a Tippecanoe County-based seed company.
The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization has issued the worldwide, exclusive license to Ag Alumni Seed, headquartered in Romney, about 13 miles south of West Lafayette.
The license for the variant, known as D16, is limited for popcorn crops, which Ag Alumni Seed specializes in.
Purdue says Ag Alumni Seed supported multiple research projects through financial contributions and the use of land, equipment and facilities. Specifically, the development of D16 began with research that Purdue Botany & Plant Pathology Professor Guri Johal conducted at the company’s facility in Romney.
Ag Alumni Seed CEO Jay Hulbert said shorter corn plants like D16 have advantages over traditional corn plants.
“A shorter plant is less likely than a taller plant to break, fall over or ‘lodge’ under stress caused by high winds or other severe weather,” Hulbert said. “In a food crop like popcorn, lodging increases the risk of the grain being contaminated by dirt or other foreign materials; D16 may be at lower risk of contamination than traditional corn. In addition, corn can become so tall that it’s difficult for farmers to work in the field except with specialized high-clearance equipment.”
He said the shorter plants may allow farmers to grow more plans per acre, improving crop yields.
With the exclusive license, Hulbert said the company plans to fast-track new hybrid plants with the shorter-stature feature.
“The new hybrids will be tested side by side with our current hybrids in U.S. trials this coming summer,” Hulbert said. “Based on the results of those trials, we’ll make decisions on conducting further trials and commercializing D16 hybrids.”
You can read more about Guri Johal’s research from Purdue by clicking here.