Corteva collaboration using AI to boost disease resistance in corn

A collaboration between agri-biotech innovator Phytoform and Corteva, a global agriculture technology leader, will explore how artificial intelligence can boost natural disease resistance in corn, the most widely grown crop in the US.

Leveraging Corteva’s global leadership in agriculture innovation along with Phytoform’s cutting-edge plant breeding technology and AI-driven approach to crop improvement, the collaboration will use Phytoform’s CRE.AI.TIVE™ AI technology to apply gene editing to improve corn’s resilience to two of the most damaging diseases impacting US growers.

“We’re thrilled to have signed this agreement with Corteva, ”says Dr. Will Pelton, chief executive of Phytoform, based at the Rothamsted Research site in the UK.

“By accelerating what nature can achieve through our shared technologies, we’re taking steps to make global food production more sustainable and secure for one of the world’s most important crops.”

The new project with Corteva will focus on optimising gene expression of two native genes that are key to disease resistance in corn.

Phytoform will use CRE.AI.TIVE™ to search through millions of potential variations in DNA control regions, selecting those that demonstrate activity in plant cells. The collaboration will fit within Genlytix™, Corteva’s comprehensive ecosystem that integrates advanced gene editing capabilities, data analytics and strategic partnerships.

“We’re excited to leverage the contributions of Phytoform’s CRE.AI.TIVE™ AI platform with our industry leading Genlytix™ ecosystem to continue to grow Corteva’s position as a leader in developing critical solutions for US farmers,” said Tom Greene, senior director at Corteva and global leader of Corteva Catalyst.

By working narrowing the gap between trait discovery and commercial deployment, Phytoform is offering a viable alternative to identifying new crop improvement methods and enabling plant breeders to target resilience traits with greater speed and accuracy.

“This work shows how AI and biology can come together to build a more climate-resilient food system,” Dr. Nicolas Kral, Phytoform chief technology officer and co-founder adds. “We’re not just fixing plants, we’re future-proofing agriculture.”