Arcadia Gets $3.6 M to Develop Hardy Crops in India

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded California-based Arcadia Biosciences a three-year, US$3.6 million grant to develop genetically modified strains of rice and wheat that can survive on saline soils and use less water and nitrogen in India. Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat or soil nutrient deficiencies are a constraint to rice and wheat production in South Asia. Arcadia will work with the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd. (MAHYCO) on product development and implementation for the program.

“The importance of addressing the long-term challenges facing agriculture and natural resource management in the region cannot be overstated. With more than 70 percent of the population living in rural areas, sustaining increases in agricultural productivity and efficient use of land, energy and water resources will have a large impact on livelihoods of the poor,” said Robert Bertram, acting director of USAID’s Office of Environment and Science Policy, in a news release.

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