More resistant to stress factors

Bayer CropScience and Mendel Biotechnology Inc. of Hayward, California, have signed a new agreement extending their existing collaboration project for a further three years. The objective of the project is to develop chemical products that make crops more resistant to stress factors such as heat, cold, drought, soil salinization or harmful microorganisms and thus safeguard and increase yields.

Bayer CropScience is contributing its expertise in chemical research – specifically in substance screening – to this collaboration. The company already markets products that enhance the stress tolerance of plants and boost yields under the “Stress Shield Inside” label. Mendel, a pioneer in the field of functional plant genomics, holds a number of plant biotechnology patents. Scientists from Mendel have identified key genes that are responsible for controlling plant growth and the way plants respond to environmental factors. They are using these discoveries to improve plant performance.

At the heart of the research project are new ideas for raising plant productivity. The aim is to develop substances capable of chemically modulating plants’ signal networks, which regulate characteristics such as growth and stress tolerance. Mendel and Bayer CropScience have been working together for several years to discover and develop chemical products for regulating stress tolerance in plants.