March 23, 2011

Bayer CropScience is strengthening its position in soybean breeding with the purchase of Hornbeck Seed Company. Bayer made the announcement March 23. Hornbeck is a privately held seed company that sells soybean germplasm along with breeding for wheat and rice. The company is located in DeWitt, AK, and has supplied seed mostly to the South.
A news release from Bayer CropScience states that the upcoming purchase of Hornbeck will help Bayer meet the needs of southern soybean growers in particular. The Hornbeck soybean germplasm base and breeding program will be used to commercialize Bayer’s proprietary traits, including herbicide-tolerance and insect- and nematode-resistance traits.
“Soybean is a strategically important crop for Bayer CropScience, and this acquisition is an important first step towards realizing a fully integrated soybean business,” stated Sandra E. Peterson, Chairman of the Board of Management at Bayer CropScience, in a news release.
Previous seed-related purchases by Bayer CropScience include Stoneville Pedigreed Seed in 2007 and Athenix Corp. in 2009. The company also entered a collaboration with M.S. Technologies in 2007.
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