Ultraviolet seed treatment technology is entering commercialization
We have already written about New Zealand startup BioLumic developing a technology for treating seeds with ultraviolet light. Now it has been put on commercial tracks, from research and development the company has moved on to its first commercial contract in the US.
In field trials on 6,000 plots in the Midwest, light-activated hybrid corn increased yields by an average of 7.3%. In partnership with U.S. seed producer Gro Alliance, BioLumic now sells light-activated seed in large volumes.
Machines with 3,600 UV LEDs can process 2.5 tons of seed per hour, giving BioLumic a potential share of the vast US corn seed market.
It is also developing a second and project – introducing a Light Recipe platform for accelerated breeding of pasture ryegrass varieties, supported by new funding from Fonterra’s Ki Tua Fund and AgriZeroNZ. Founder Jason Worgent explains that precise light signals switch existing plant genes, accelerating trait development without genetic modification and bypassing regulatory delays.
By 2028, BioLumic plans to bring improved ryegrass varieties derived from this innovative technology to the U.S. market.
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