b'I N D U S T R Y N E W S Delivering the news you need to know. Submissions welcomeemail us at news@seedworldgroup.com. solutions for sustainable food production, replacing up to 30% of climate damaging synthetic fertilizer and breeding tastier, healthier and more sustainable crops.Corteva Makes Its Second Biologicals Acquisition of the YearCorteva announced the signing of a definitive agree-ment to acquire Stoller Group, Inc., one of the largest independent biologicals businesses in the industry. Houston-based Stoller boasts a forecasted revenue for 2022 of $400 million with operations and sales in over 60 countries. Corteva believes the acquisition will bring immediate scale and profitability, according to a release.RCSI partners with Syngenta to develop Researchers at the John Innes Centre in collaborationtechnology that protects cropswith an international team of researchers haveResearchers at RCSI University of Medicine and discovered a new height-reducing gene Rht13 whichHealth Sciences have teamed up with Syngenta to develop biodegradable materials that help to protect means that seeds can be planted deeper in the soilcrops. In this 12-month collaborative project funded giving access to moisture, without the adverse effectby Syngenta, experts in polymer chemistry at RCSI are exploring how cross-linked coatings of polymers on seedling emergence seen with existing wheatcould be applied in agriculture, allowing environmen-varieties. Varieties of wheat with the Rht13 gene couldtally-friendly protective agents to be released slowly into plants to protect crops over time. The innovation be rapidly bred into wheat varieties to enable farmersat the heart of RCSIs collaboration with Syngenta to grow reduced-height wheat in drier soil conditions.focuses on developing biodegradable materials that can break slowly in water and release compounds suit-able for crop protection.Finding Genes to Help Fruit Adapt to Droughts Bayer Launches Industry-First Public Database Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute andListing Companys Science Collaborations and Cornell University have completed the first study toPartnerships in the U.S.provide a comprehensive picture of gene expressionBayer announced the U.S. launch of the Bayer Science changes in response to water stress in a fruittheCollaboration Explorer as part of its ongoing efforts tomato, Solanum lycopersicumidentifying genesto enhance public trust in scientific innovations, pro-that could help plant breeders develop fruit that cancesses, and R&D activities. The Explorer is a publicly cope with drought conditions. accessible database where Bayer shares information on its science collaborations and new contracts with BUSINESS NEWS universities, public research institutions, and individuals.Sound Agriculture Raises $75 Million Series D to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture andPEOPLE NEWSSustainable Food Production Certis Biologicals Adds Leadership to Sound Agriculture announced a $75 million Series DStrengthen Innovation Pipelineequity investment, led by new investors BMO ImpactCertis Biologicals announced that it is strengthen-Investment Fund and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, alonging its innovation pipeline by naming Mike Allan vice with FootPrint Coalition and returning investors Leapspresident of Business Development and Licensing. As by Bayer, Syngenta Group Ventures, S2G Ventures,such, Allan will seek opportunities for the biologicals Fall Line Capital, Cavallo Ventures and Northpondleader to expand innovation efforts through partner-Ventures. Since its founding in 2013, the company hasships, licensing and potential acquisitions. Allan joined raised a total of $155 million to develop nature-basedCertis Biologicals in 2018 as vice president, North 66/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2023'