The unique Marana Greenhouses will serve as a global product design centre for corn by bringing the breeding process indoors, more seed products can be developed faster, resulting in farmers benefitting from the latest technology.

Bayer’s investment in the Marana site reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability.

To further its global commitment of providing growers with the most innovative, sustainable and technically-advanced agricultural solutions, the company has opened its new smart, state-of-the-art, automated greenhouse facility.

The facility is the first-of-its-kind for the company and the most technically advanced. 

The approximately US$100 million facility will serve as a global product design centre for corn, the only crop to be grown there. 

Additionally, the Marana facility will capitalise on innovation advancements in proprietary seed chipping, advanced marker technology, automation and data science.

“With our new Marana greenhouses, Bayer is reimagining the way plant breeding is done and setting the standard for environmental sustainability,” said Bob Reiter, head of research and development for crop science at Bayer. 

“Meeting the unique challenges that farmers face requires different ways of thinking and working, and this new innovative facility is one of the many ways Bayer will deliver on its commitments to farmers,” he added.

The facility, which occupies 300,000 sq ft of growing space, are designed for the sustainable use of inputs throughout the research process. 

Water used for crops will be recycled, which helps preserve precious desert water supplies, 100 per cent of harvested materials will be used for compost and beneficial insects will be used to reduce pesticide applications.

By locating the Marana Greenhouse facility in the Arizona desert instead of the mid-Western section of the United States where corn is traditionally grown, more days of warmth and sunlight will allow researchers to maintain plants year-round, enabling three to four corn crop cycles annually. 

Also, by utilising the controlled environment of the greenhouses, the breeding process comes indoors which eliminates crop exposure to adverse weather conditions and prevents delays in new seed development. Growing conditions can be customised to simulate various climate conditions around the world.

“Every investment in innovation is an investment in more sustainable agriculture for the next generation, and the effects travel far beyond one site,” added Reiter. “The corn hybrids developed here, under diverse growing environments and weather scenarios, will bring innovation to growers in every part of the world.”