Johnston, Iowa — The Iowa Corn Promotion Board has received a patent for its work in nitrogen use efficiency in corn and related to transgenic plants that have increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or increased yield using a patented gene. According to the announcement, Patent 8,692,070, titled Improved Nitrogen Utilization and Stress Tolerance, demonstrates a commitment to improving farmer productivity even to the gene level. “The Iowa Corn Promotion Board collaborated with Strathkirn Inc. and Athenix Corp. to develop improved corn plants that are more efficient in using nitrogen fertilizer,” said Larry Klever, an Audubon farmer and chair of the Iowa corn research and business development committee. “This new trait could result in improved economics on the farm, reduced impact on the environment and reduced energy requirements to grow a corn crop.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain