Seed companies and researchers developing high-yield drought-resilient crops should first look for beneficial gene traits in areas known for harsh climates. This is exactly what PlantArcBio did when discovering its drought-resistant genes, Dror Shalitin, founder and CEO of PlantArcBio, told AgTechNavigator.
Launched in 2014, PlantArcBio technology stack consists of two IP-protected components: a high-throughput platform for discovering novel genes and a gene-editing tool, called DIP and DIPPER, respectively. PlantArcBio collects gene pools from around the world and probes the samples for beneficial traits, Shalitin explained.
For instance, PlantArcBio collected microorganism samples from the Dead Sea to discover drought-resilient traits that are being put into a range of crops, Shalitin said. Once a trait is discovered, the agtech company modifies a plant’s gene with its DIPPER technology and performs tests to ensure the trait’s viability, he added.
PlantArcBio secured a licensing partnership with Brazilian seed company Helix Sementes e Biotecnologia thanks to the traits discovered from the Dead Sea samples, which will be integrated into Helix’s corn germplasm, as the companies shared in a press release.
“We took samples from regions near the Dead Sea in Israel, which is the lowest place on Earth, but it is also very dry and hot,” Shalitin noted. “If these microorganisms develop the ability to survive there in these conditions, we may find very good genes for plants as well.”
Brazil ‘is an amazing market’ for gene-editing
PlantArcBio first deployed these drought-resilient corn traits through a partnership with Rallis India, which increased corn seed yields by 60-250% when grown under drought conditions, the agtech company shared in a press release.
Having gained traction in India and Asia, PlantArcBio expanded to the South American market, including through a partnership with Brazilian company Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira to develop pest-resistant sugarcane and Tropical Melhoramento e Genética to create Cotton Boll Weevil-resistant corn, cotton, and soy.
“South America, and especially Brazil, is an amazing market ─ a very fast-developing market," he emphasised.
Brazil is a good market for gene-editing and corn hybrids due to regulations that are hospitable to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and corn production is expected to grow in the country, Shalitin explained. Brazil produced an estimated 136 million metric tons of corn in the 2024/25 harvest, making the country the third largest producer in the world, according to USDA data.
“If we are looking at the issue of GMO/non-GMO, there is an argument in many places in the world. [Brazil is] not afraid of it. They are accepting [GMOs] with wide open hands,” Shalitin elaborated.
PlantArcBio shifts from public to private investing
Looking ahead, PlantArcBio is seeking to raise funding to support further research and development, Shalitin explained. Earlier this year, PlantArcBio delisted itself from the Israeli stock exchange after five years on the public markets in an effort to change its funding strategy, he added.
“To see your fruits of the GMO coming to commercialisation, it could take 10 to 15 years. So, you need patience, and you need fundraising to take you there,” Shalitin said.
