NEW YORK, July 11 - BASF Plant Science has established a new subsidiary, BASF AgGenetics, that will work with a consortium of US breeding companies to develop new inbred corn lines, BASF Plant Science said Wednesday.
BASF AgGenetics plans to access a large pool of corn germplasm by working with over a dozen US breeding partners, and will apply its genomics research and plant biotechnology to developing new corn lines with improved properties.
"By working in close cooperation with established US breeding companies, BASF will be able to gain immediate access to successful regionally adapted corn germplasm," Hans Kast, president of BASF Plant Science, said in a statement. "As we combine elite germplasm, plant biotechnology, and the tremendous breeding know-how of our partners with genomics research and advance breeding technologies, BASF Plant Science is creating a powerful platform for the development and commercialization of novel corn products in the US."
In December 2000, BASF Plant Science, of Research Triangle Park, NC, acquired ExSeed Genetics, an Owensboro, Ken.-based plant biotechnology and genetics company. BASF plans to invest more than 700 million euros ($601 million) in research in the field of plant biotechnology over the next ten years, the company said in a statement.