Gro Alliance acquires corn inbred male sterility conversion company Cutter CMS

Seeds set on a male sterile paternal haploid ear

Gro Alliance announces that it has acquired the assets and intellectual property of Cutter CMS, LLC. Since 2011, Cutter CMS has been converting elite corn inbred lines to both C and SD male sterility using the indeterminate gametophyte (ig) system. Gary Cutter founded Cutter CMS after more than 30 years of corn inbred work with Cargill and Dow. As part of the agreement, Gary will stay on for five years, continue to work with his existing clients and support the transition to Gro Alliance.

“Using the ig system for male sterile conversions, and my unique paternal haploid selection technique, a conversion of 100 percent of the nuclear genetic component occurs in just two generations,” said Gary Cutter. “I am excited to be a part of Gro Alliance and see my work continued and expanded.”

“The benefit of male sterile corn inbreds for seed production yield, quality and cost of goods is widely known,” said Jim Schweigert, president of Gro Alliance. “By pairing Gary’s expertise with our network of seed corn nursery and production locations in the US and Chile, we can increase the scope of the program and make male sterile conversions available to corn breeders all over the world.”

New projects can be initiated as soon as September 2018 in Chile.

Founded in 1941, Gro Alliance is the nation’s largest independently owned contract seed corn and soybean seed production company. It provides GMO, non-GMO, organic, regulated, popcorn and soybean seed production as well a full suite of seed corn nursery services for companies around the world. Its headquarters are in Cuba City, Wis. with additional seed corn locations in Howe, Ind. and Mount Pulaski, Ill. It has soybean seed operations in Mount Pulaski, Breckenridge, Minn. and Leland, Iowa. It has nursery operations in Chile through its joint venture, CIS Alliance.