Arcadia Biosciences is teaming up with Dupont to improve nitrogen use efficiency in corn. DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred will use Arcadia technology to deliver a technology that DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development VP William S. Niebur says “will help farmers increase the productivity, profitability and sustainability of global corn production.”
Farmers around the world depend on a combination of nitrogen fertilizer and advanced genetics and technology to increase productivity. According to the International Fertilizer Association and the Food and Agriculture Organization, more than 12.5 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizer are applied globally each year to corn. Nitrogen fertilizer prices, which are closely tied to natural gas prices, continue to rise, making efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer an increasingly important issue in grower profitability.
Corn is a key focus for the application of nitrogen use efficiency technology because it is one of the most important global food crops and an intensive user of nitrogen fertilizer. 
Like most crops, corn only absorbs some of the nitrogen that is applied to it, resulting in economic inefficiencies for farmers. Although farmers have taken great strides to reduce runoff, a portion of the unabsorbed nitrogen can enter waterways or volatize into the air as a greenhouse gas.
Pioneer is aggressively pursuing enhanced efficiency in nitrogen use – applying both transgenic and traditional research methods for future hybrid improvement. The collaboration with Arcadia builds on nitrogen use efficiency work already under way at Pioneer.