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Novel solutions to enable intercropping practices for agricultural intensification
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Get them answered by the team at Corteva.
Background

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Most row crop systems in North America are currently grown as annual monocultures. Improving sustainability in these systems and meeting the growing world demand for food, fuel and fiber requires a new paradigm guided by sustainable intensification practices. Like adding additional work shifts at a manufacturing plant to leverage more of the total capacity, land use efficiency may be increased by leveraging unused light, soil, & water resources to yield more per acre.   

 

Innovative multi-cropping systems with reduced or removed fallow periods not only intensify agricultural output, but also protect the soil, keeping it covered throughout the year. However, logistical challenges of planting during the post-harvest period hinder adoption of these systems. Inter-seeding before harvest may lower the barrier, but requires addressing variables such as planting dates, time to maturity, and ability to inter-seed, germinate and establish seedlings within a standing crop before harvest. Furthermore, establishing new multi-cropping systems in a region will require new agronomic practices and breeding efforts for optimized varieties.  

 

Corteva believes innovation can have a positive impact on the adoption of multi-cropping systems and are specifically interested in collaborating with public and private sector scientists, organizations and farmers to enable inter-seeding and the establishment of seedlings within multi-cropping systems that include corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, or wheat.

What we're looking for

The benefits of intercropping include increased efficiency of resource use, decreased pest and disease pressure, and improved soil health. However, with benefits come significant challenges to common management strategies including crop rotation timing and leveraging common farming equipment.

Corteva is seeking non-confidential proposals that describe a plan to demonstrate novel methods to enable inter-seeding within a scalable intercropping system involving corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, or wheat. Please review the FAQ for important info to include in your proposal.

 

What should I expect from the process and timeline?  

What should proposals include for Corteva's opportunity?

 

Solutions of interest include:
  • Physical methods (equipment or hardware)
  • Management practices applied to any crop in the system
  • Seed treatments (chemical or physical)
  • Breeding strategies
  • Any other novel method or technology to address this challenge
Our must-have requirements are:
  • The multi cropping system includes a minimum of one traditional commodity crop (corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, or wheat)
  • Scalable application (e.g., path to use at 100+ acre scale must be clearly described if not demonstrated in the proposed solution)
Our nice-to-have's are:
  • Data supporting the proposed method (productivity, pest and weed impact, soil health impact, etc)
  • Ability and willingness to carry out relevant field trials for the proposed system in small plot trials or on-farm.
  • Estimated and/or modeled value potential
What's out of scope:
  • Intercropping systems and associated enabling technologies limited to tropical environments
  • Inter-seeding systems that are widely known including:
    • Broadcast seeding untreated winter rye into corn/soybean
    • Relay cropping soybeans into wheat using established methods (e.g., row-skipping)
Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
Levels 2-9
What we can offer you
Eligible partnership models:
Sponsored research
Co-development
Benefits:
Sponsored Research
Funding up to US$50,000 inclusive of a maximum of 10% indirect costs* with potential for follow on funding. * Indirect costs available to academic and nonprofit research institutes only. Final agreement terms and funding amount to be determined after selection.
Expertise
Selected submitters will engage with Corteva scientists to develop an agreed upon project plan and continue to interact with Corteva scientists throughout the project.
Facilities and Services
Corteva in-kind resources including access to field sites may be available to selected submitters.
Who we are

At Corteva we use the science of the lab and the land to maximize productivity and sustainability of the world's farmland.

We accomplish this through collaborating with thought leaders and innovators around the world to access and develop the most innovative technologies and rapidly deploying those through organizations that are good stewards of those technologies.

Join us and other thought leaders from around the world to stimulate the development of groundbreaking and sustainable solutions.

 Learn more
Reviewers
KM
Kathy Munkvold
Leader, Open Innovation
SL
Sara Lira
Research Scientist
AF
Adriana Ferreira
Open Innovation Manager
Q&A with Corteva

The Q&A is now closed.

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Most upvoted
Q.
Hi, Is this opportunity only for inter-cropping or also for double-cropping? Thanks, John
2
A.
Thanks for your interest and question. We are specifically interested in solutions to overcome the challenge of inter-seeding one crop into a second standing crop before harvest with the ultimate goal of expanding the selection of multi-cropping systems that can be grown successfully in temperate climates. We are not interested in a double cropping system without relay or inter-seeding practices.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
July 7, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Hi, is this opportunity available for Indian researcher to carry out research in India? Regards, Raman
1
A.
Thanks for your interest and question. We are open to working with international based teams if the intercropping systems and associated enabling technologies are not limited to tropical environments.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
July 20, 2023
Is this response helpful?
1
0
Q.
How many proposals will be selected for funding in this opportunity?
1
A.
We aim to select one proposal for collaboration; however, we may consider funding additional proposals based on interest level.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
August 7, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Noting the requirement to carry out relevant field trials, are you looking only for North American based researchers or would you consider international based teams?
DB
David Brown, Corporate Relations, Trade and Investment Queensland
July 19, 2023
1
A.
Thanks for your interest and question. We are open to working with international based teams if the intercropping systems and associated enabling technologies are not limited to tropical environments.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
July 20, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Hi, are you interested in collaborating on intercropping innovation in UK and northern European combinable crops?
1
A.
Yes, we are open to cropping systems that include at least one traditional commodity crop (corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, or wheat) and is not limited to tropical environments.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
August 9, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
Is using natural extract as a seed priming and foliar spray or using microbial community to improve the soil relevant for this call?
1
A.
Hi Mostafa, If extracts or microbes can affect seed germination or growth to improve performance in intercropping, yes. If these inputs simply improve soil in general ways that do not enable intercropping, they wouldn't be relevant. Thanks.
SL
Sara Lira, Research Scientist, Corteva
August 29, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
Q.
You mention multi-cropping systems for corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, or wheat. Are you willing to consider proposals for cotton too by any chance?
1
A.
While not our primary interest, we would be willing to consider a proposal including cotton as the commodity crop.
KM
Kathy Munkvold, Leader, Open Innovation, Corteva
August 8, 2023
Is this response helpful?
0
0
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