Bayer, Pairwise partnership to bring in rapid innovations in growing and harvesting food
As part of the company’s Future of Farming Dialogue virtual event series, Bob Reiter, Head of Research and Development at the Crop Science division of Bayer, highlighted the interconnectivity between scientific experts inside and outside of the company’s own network of R&D resources, their importance to innovation, and the next solutions to advance the future of agriculture. Reiter joined with CEOs from Pairwise, Rantizo and Oerth Bio during the global virtual event ’Open Innovation: How Collaboration Unlocks a Sustainable Future’, on February 15, 2021.
Gene editing investments
Bayer has access to the best genome editing tools. In crop science, that means a transformative opportunity to improve yield and simplify harvesting for farmers.
“Tools like gene editing offer new solutions to food challenges producers and consumers alike are facing,” said Pairwise CEO Tom Adams. “Pairwise, through our partnership with Bayer, is advancing solutions that will drive faster innovation and more tangible changes to how we grow and harvest food.”
Bayer’s research collaboration with the French biotech company Meiogenix is also accelerating the development of proprietary technologies related to plant breeding and genome editing applications.
Investments in new crop protection solutions
Through Leaps by Bayer, investments in companies like Rantizo are enabling precision aerial pesticide applications while reducing soil compaction. Focusing the application of the right amount to the right plant allows an overall reduction in pesticide applications and of carbon emission compared to traditional sprayers.
In addition to its own R&D investments to discover and develop promising new modes of action, Bayer is collaborating with Targenomix, a start-up that uses genomic tools to identify new herbicidal modes of action.
