Creative Gene Technology Ltd is using the powerful technologies of proteomics, DNA microarray and genetics to develop new solutions for increasing crop yield and productivity for agriculture. The world population is growing, but the available land for crop production is not. This means that improving crop yield will become an increasingly pressing objective.

Major targets in agriculture include improved oilseed and starch crops and new, environmentally friendly herbicides. The vegetable oils market is worth about $24 billion, and herbicides represent about 58% of all agrichemicals sold, at $15 billion pa. Vegetable oils and starch are important as food products, but can also be used in new and renewable ways, as lubricants (oils) and biofuels (oils and starch). Herbicides are vital for high crop productivity, and a challenge is to find new formulations with minimal environmental impact. CGT’s mission is to exploit its patented technologies and scientific expertise to achieve improved crop yields. This will become increasingly more important as agriculture moves closer to the large-scale production of renewable biofuels, where yield will be of primary concern.