Bayer CropScience has entered into an alliance to research optimized sugarcane varieties for the production of renewable energy.
Sugarcane is regarded as an ideal crop for producing renewable energy. Bayer CropScience and the Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC), the Center for Sugarcane Technology in São Paulo, Brazil, intend to enter into a broad alliance for the research and development of biotechnologically optimized sugarcane varieties. The main goal is to combine the expertise of both partners to develop varieties with higher sugar content, with early research results indicating increases of about 30 to 40 percent. This in turn can increase the production efficiency of ethanol. Bayer CropScience plans to provide its genetic technologies for introgression into CTC’s proprietary sugarcane varieties. The products resulting from this cooperation are anticipated to be ready for submission for regulatory approval by 2015.
The research and development activities of Bayer CropScience in sugarcane are currently focused on Brazil, where about 40 percent of global production occurs. The CTC is recognized as one of the world’s leading sugarcane research centers.