The following are Licensing Opportunities in Plant Science:

Screening of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Plants [1]

The invention is an inexpensive, high-throughput method of screening for improved NUE including early in the growing season. The test works by taking leaf punches of plants, including seedlings, and exposing them to a glutamine biosensor, which is the most direct measure of nitrogen uptake and assimilation.  In field tests, the sensor was able to detect nitrogen uptake from soil, transport to shoots, assimilation into amino acids and re-mobilization from senescing leaf tips of corn.

Measurement of Bio-available Soil Nitrogen [2]

Dr. Manish Raizada of the Department of Plant Agriculture has discovered a reliable method of measuring the amount of bio-available soil nitrogen. The test works by taking leaf punches of plants and exposing them to a glutamine sensor, which is the most direct measure of nitrogen uptake and assimilation. The test can also be used to evaluate fertilizer compositions for bio-available nitrogen.

Improved Biomass and Seed Yield in Oilseed Crops [3]

Research at the University of Guelph has shown that large increases in biomass and seed production of oilseed crops can be achieved by replacing endogenous starch branching enzymes with those from cereal crops such as maize. The university is now seeking partners to expand the method in additional oilseeds, such as soybean, and advance the technology toward commercial release.

Electrochemical Remediation of Wastewater [4]

UGRC18-SRW01 [5]

Researchers at the University of Guelph have developed a Soft Red Winter Wheat with good resistance to leaf rust, Septoria and Fusarium head blight and adapted for Eastern Canada. The variety was accepted for registration in 2021 and has been tested in Area 1 and Area 2.