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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Bayer Invests $8.1 million in Soybean Center in Champaign, Illinois

03/16/2017
Bayer opened its $8.1 million Soybean Breeding and Trait Development Center at the Midwest Field Technology Station in Champaign, Illinois.

The four-building, 28,000 square foot facility features space to accommodate a large-scale breeding program to develop top performing soybean products across Illinois and the Midwest. According to company officials, the ”new station will house research and development to identify, develop and test new varieties, using modern breeding methods, pushing the limits of yield potential for growers in the Midwest.”

"We're dedicated to delivering the best genetics and technology for growers with the Credenz soybean seed," says Monty Malone, Elite Performance Trials Lead for Bayer. "With this new station, we can continue to research, develop and provide innovative products that address the growing need for smart seed traits to safeguard and strengthen a crop that is increasingly valuable to growers across the globe."

The new expansion is one of three soybean research stations Bayer will open in 2017 and part of a three-year, $1 billion commitment from Bayer to invest in new research facilities, expansions and renovations around the country. The soybean breeding program at the MFTS will develop maturity group (MG) two and three Credenz seed, covering production areas in the Eastern Corn Belt.

"The time and resources Bayer is putting into this research not only shows our commitment to high-quality, high-yielding products, but also to our growers and the future of agriculture as a whole," says Allen Gent, Bayer Strategic Business Lead for seeds. "This station will bring together significant scientific resources to support the advancement of the agriculture industry."

The expanded presence of Bayer in central Illinois supports the livelihood and profitability of growers who depend on their products and services. While the breeding center will sustain the number one industry in Illinois, it will also benefit the number one resource: the grower.

In the coming years, Bayer plans to expand the Credenz platform by introducing new trait technologies and working collaboratively with industry partners. "Credenz offers an entirely new approach to soybean protection, focused on smart genetics and increased grower choice," Gent says.

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