Insignum Agtech and Beck’s Collaborate to Help Corn ‘talk’

By Kyle Mohler

The companies will collaborate to cross the trait into proprietary Beck’s genetics for field-testing in 2023 to evaluate commercial viability of the traits.

Insignum AgTech develops plant genetic traits that enable plants to “talk” and signal to farmers when specific plant stresses begin.

“With this trait, a corn plant generates purple pigment, indicating that a fungal infection has started but is not yet apparent. Additional traits will utilize other natural pigments, such as red or blue, that give an early indication of yield-limiting factors such as insect pests or fertility loss,” said Insignum Ag Tech CEO Kyle Mohler, a Purdue University alumnus. “Farmers will gain the ability to sustainably and precisely treat when and where needed, ultimately increasing yields without arbitrarily increasing costly inputs.”

As Insignum AgTech transitions from research to a commercial development phase, Mohler is pleased to collaborate with Beck’s, the largest family-owned retail seed company and the third-largest seed brand in the U.S. 

“Beck’s values technology that helps farmers succeed,” said Tom Koch, research manager at Beck’s. “Insignum’s genetic traits are well aligned with that mission. Farmers can see what their plants need and then respond to improve crop health and yields. We were encouraged by Insignum’s results we saw in field trials last year, and we’re hopeful about this collaboration.”