Ongoing successful cotton field trials demonstrate strength of anti-fungal technology
Hexima has completed three consecutive years of positive results in cotton field trials of its anti-fungal disease technology, with the successful completion of the 2008/09 trials. This is an important progress milestone in the commercialisation of the anti-fungal technology, demonstrating its sustained efficacy in varied seasonal conditions. The Company is currently expanding its technology in a range of crops, including corn, soy and canola. Hexima is collaborating with market leader Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a DuPont subsidiary, to commercialise anti-fungal technology in corn and soy. Corn and soy are the two largest GM crops accounting for over 80% of the global GM market.
The GM-cotton trials, conducted in the Darling Downs, Queensland against the important cotton fungal disease, Fusarium wilt, demonstrated that the GM-cotton with the anti-fungal trait had a 20% higher plant survival rate and lint yields that were more than two fold higher than the non-GM control. Related Fusarium species cause disease and yield loss in a range of other crops, including corn, soy and wheat. Importantly, the GM-cotton plants showed no yield penalty in the absence of disease and no difference in lint quality.
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The 2008/2009 trials validated results obtained in previous years where the anti-fungal technology delivered superior plant survival and harvestable yield when compared to the non-GM control. Three years of successful trials demonstrated the robustness of the technology under naturally variable conditions.
Hexima’s Multi-Gene Expression Vehicle is a protein stacking and expression tool that can be used in a range of crops.
Hexima has also completed field trials of its insect control technology over three consecutive seasons, commencing in the 2004/2005 season.
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