Improved Nutrition Produce

Fruits and vegetables provide numerous vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to maintain good health. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises people to eat two cups of fruits and two and one-half cups of vegetables daily, these quantities may not be enough to receive some proven health benefits.

For example, tomatoes are the best natural source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is about twice as powerful as beta-carotene. Observational studies indicate that foods containing lycopene may help prevent breast and prostate cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease.

While minimum daily requirements have not yet been established, there is increasing scientific evidence that people need to consume lycopene in measurable amounts to achieve desired health benefits. The most concentrated sources of lycopene are processed tomato products such as tomato paste, tomato juice and pasta sauce. Fresh tomatoes have less-concentrated amounts of lycopene, and research suggests that lycopene available through processed tomatoes is more easily absorbed by the body. While beneficial for optimum nutritional health, eating many servings of tomatoes or tomato products every day simply does not appeal to everyone.

Our Solution

Using TILLING® technology, we're applying advanced breeding techniques to develop tomato varieties that are naturally higher in lycopene and other natural antioxidants than conventional varieties. These nutritionally enhanced varieties could give consumers the opportunity to receive the health benefits associated with the daily intake of lycopene with fewer servings.

Reducing Nitrogen
Usage

Arcadia Biosciences has conducted field trials in five growing seasons. In each field trial, Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) canola demonstrated that it can achieve high yields using significantly less nitrogen fertilizer than conventional varieties. In the chart above, note that NUE canola yielded 2800 lb/ac using two-thirds less nitrogen fertilizer than the conventional variety needed to generate the same yield.