With the focus on improving crop yields, Epicrop is developing epigenetic technology - modifications that are naturally occurring biological marks on the plant's DNA or chromatin enabling the plant to develop normally and to adapt to its environment. Importantly, epigenetic marks are involved in regulating gene expression but do not cause changes in the genome or any protein sequences to occur. Long understood as important for plant development, the role played by epigenetics in crop performance is only now emerging. Epicrop's epigenetic technology is unique in enableing improved crop yields and stress tolerance without making any changes to the DNA sequence of the plant. The final crop plant is genetically identical to the starting plant and contains no foreign genes or any changes to the plant's DNA. Anchored in patent-pending discoveries in epigenetic technologies made by Dr. Sally Mackenzie at the University of Nebraska-Lincolnthe firm's epigenetic breeding methods improve plant yields and stress tolerances and are applicable to all plant species. Of particular interest are the important corn, soybean, and wheat crops grown in Nebraska. Most importantly, this natural biological process is ued to breed crops that produce higher yields and are more stress tolerant. Higher yields help protect the environment: by requiring less land for sufficient production; by keeping crop prices lower, which reduces the incentive to put conserved land into production; and by irrigating fewer acres to achieve the same total production.
