Modified Crop Pays A Premium

Modified Crop Pays A Premium CROPS New Crops A California company has created a genetically modified variety of safflower that produces an oil sold as a nutritional supplement Farmers lucky enough to have contracts to grow it are getting a premium for the new crop “We modified safflower to produce a special oil called gamma linolenic acid GLA ” says Jeff Burgau Arcadia Biosciences Inc “Currently borage and evening primrose are the main sources for GLA However GLA content in those oils is quite low It would require consuming a lot to get the supplemental benefit Our safflower has twice as much GLA as either of them ” GLA has earned a reputation for fighting inflammation of joints suppressing appetites and improving skin tones Normally grown as a dryland crop the new modified variety has enough added value to make it worth irrigating “Currently we’re producing all we need because it doesn’t take that many acres to satisfy current demand ” says Burgau “We’re working with other crops to find ways to get higher levels of valuable oils ” Burgau encourages farmers to stay aware of developing markets for nutraceuticals like GLA and crops that can produce them The company is also working on genetically modifying crops to be salt tolerant and to make more efficient use of water and nitrogen For example Arcadia has already demonstrated a canola that uses only a third as much nitrogen but yields the same as conventional canola While the company isn’t contracting additional acres at this time Burgau insists they still want to hear from interested farmers Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Arcadia Biosciences Inc 
 202 Cousteau Place Suite 200 
 Davis Calif 95618 ph 530 756-7077; info@arcadiabio com; www arcadiabio com

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