b'crop has headroom for performancelife, where the xTraits technology createsand weve only just begun to explorethe highest leverage point for program-whats possible. ming traits at scaledelivering real-world impact.Lighting the Way in Seed Corn We used to treat plants, not seeds, While the science may sound futuris- Wargent says. The big leap was realiz-tic, BioLumics commercial path is verying we could go back to the very begin-realand already underway. In 2024,ning, to the seed itself, and trigger these the company launched its first large- responses. That changed everything.scale commercial collaboration withWhat followed was a flurry of innova-Gro Alliance and its seed licensing arm,tion: the development of proprietary gene Breeder Direct. There, BioLumic is treat- expression diagnostics, a breakthrough in ing inbred corn lines using proprietaryseed screening speed and the discovery light recipes before they enter seedthat cross-generational trait inheritance production. was possible.This year is the first time light-treatedNow we can treat parent seed and seeds will be available to growers fordeliver benefits not just in that seed, but planting, Wargent says. And the benefitsJason Wargent is Biolumics founder andin the next generation, Wargent says. are compounding. Not only do seed com- chief science officerThats the kind of thing that could funda-panies see higher yields in their inbredmentally reshape seed production.production fields, but farmers who plantthrough from activated parent lines) and the resulting hybrids are seeing trait gains+8.2% yield increase in more than a dozenInnovation for Impactas well. activated inbreds BioLumics growth reflects the seed Some of those results have been stag-15% increase in rice emergence andindustrys growing appetite for sustain-gering. BioLumic usually aims for double- vigor, enabling Direct Dry-Seeded Riceable, scalable, high-impact trait innova-digit yield gains, but in 2024 field trials,(DDSR) systems which eliminate the needtion. With new partnerships forming and they saw yield increases of up to 77% infor flooded fields, thus reducing methaneits first U.S. treatment center on pace second-generation hybrid corn, driven byemissions for installation, BioLumic is preparing to light-treated inbreds.50% fewer pest and disease symp- scale up fast.We think were starting to triggertoms in soybeans and leafy greens Were working with companies hybrid vigor in ways no one else can, A 2-3% lipid gain in forage grass like Gro Alliance and Becks Hybrids, Wargent says. If thats true, were look- validated in trialsthat reduces entericWargent says. And were just getting ing at a whole new way of driving perfor- methane emissions by 12% from standardstarted. Theres strong interest across the mance. practice-fed livestock.boardfrom seed companies to dairies Just as impressive: these outcomes 30% greater root mass in corn,to food companies focused on environ-are achieved with minimal seed volume,improving drought resilience and carbonmental sustainability.thanks to application at the parentsequestration For Wargent, the rapid momentum is seed stage. That efficiency, paired withWhats more, BioLumics seed treat- both thrilling and hard-earned. This is an rapid diagnostic testing and no regula- ments dont require any changes in11-year-old company, he says. Most of tory burden, gives BioLumic a speedgrower practices. Seeds go throughour breakthroughs have come in the last advantage in an industry known for longthe same channelsjust biologicallythree. BioLumic has since expanded into development cycles. Wargent says traitupgraded from the start. the U.S. with a field office in Illinois and packages can be rolled out 90% fasterThis is a trait platform, not a product,lab in Massachusetts to scale strategic and at a fraction of the cost compared toWargent emphasizes. It can plug into vir- collaborations in India, New Zealand, and GM or traditional breeding methods. tually any germplasm, and the traits cansoon South America. be inheritedeven without retreatment. So whats his advice to others devel-More Than Corn oping ag tech solutions that might be The corn pipeline is just the beginning.A Decade of Discovery ahead of their time?BioLumic is actively developing traitsFounded in 2013, BioLumic spent its earlyDont stop. Just keep going, he says. for soybean, rice and pasture grasses.years focused on horticultural crops. TheYou wont always know where the break-Laboratory and field trials have shown: pivot to seed treatment came only afterthrough is going to come from. But if youMore than 20% avg. yield gain inthe team realized lights potential to acti- believe in your science, and you have the multiple untreated hybrid lines (trait pass- vate traits at the earliest stages of plantdata to back it up, youll get there.26/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2025'