PlantArcBio Corn Trial Shows Drought Resistance and Yield Gains

RA'ANANA, Israel, Sept. 24, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Israeli ag-biotech company PlantArcBio has reported impressive results from its first open-field corn trial, showcasing substantial yield gains and drought tolerance in its genetically modified corn. The trial, conducted in Israel, evaluated 200 plots across both inbred and hybrid corn, testing the company's lead drought-tolerance genes under both standard irrigation and severe drought conditions.

The results indicate that corn plots carrying PlantArcBio's lead drought-tolerance genes produced more than double the cob weight of untransformed control plots. Under both standard irrigation and severe drought conditions, the genetically modified corn exhibited robust growth and uniform flowering, a key indicator of stress resilience. The genetically modified corn also displayed visibly greener leaves and produced more and larger cobs per plant, resulting in significantly heavier cobs at harvest. Under standard irrigation, the total cob weight per plot more than tripled over the control, while under severe drought conditions, the gain was comparable. In hybrid backgrounds, the company's corn outperformed the control in both conditions, with some events showing a more than doubling of drought-stressed yield.

The findings are particularly significant given the current global climate, where drought is a leading driver of crop loss. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), drought and other disasters cost global agriculture approximately $123 billion annually, destroying an average of 69 million tonnes of grain per year. In the United States, the 2026 USDA report cut its corn yield forecast to 178.5 bushels per acre, with national production projected at 15.8 billion bushels, down from 17.0 billion bushels in 2025. Twenty-one of 32 reporting states saw their forecasts decline, with drought and heat cutting yields sharply in states such as Nebraska, Kansas, and North Dakota.

These results are a testament to PlantArcBio's proprietary DIPTM (Direct In Plant) platform, which screens millions of genes directly in living plants under real stress conditions, enabling the discovery of field-ready candidates in months rather than years. The company's platform is designed to provide traits already proven in a living plant, not just on paper, offering a real solution to the global food security challenge.

PlantArcBio is now engaging with seed companies and breeding programs to license its lead genes for integration into elite germplasm across geographies and hybrid backgrounds. The company's lead genes have the potential to significantly increase corn yields under challenging conditions, such as drought, and could play a crucial role in addressing the global food security challenge.

PlantArcBio's innovative approach to genetic modification and its commitment to field-ready solutions make it a leader in the agricultural biotechnology sector. The company's continued research and development efforts are expected to further enhance its position in the industry, offering new tools to farmers and breeders to combat the challenges posed by climate change and other environmental factors.