An Iowa-based ag technology company is planting the seeds for a new approach to corn seed production as the industry looks toward the 2026 growing season. PowerPollen, founded in Ames in 2015, has partnered with Oxbow to introduce the first mechanized pollination system designed specifically for corn seed production. The technology allows seed companies to purchase and scale the system, giving producers more control over when and how pollination occurs.
PowerPollen co-founder and Chief Innovation and Product Officer Jason Cope discussed the breakthrough in an interview on Money Matters on the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
“Started this company back in 2015 with the idea that if we could store pollen from row crops and keep it highly viable, the things that we could do with that stored pollen to improve agriculture would be, I dare say, immeasurable in terms of the reliability of agriculture and the productivity of agriculture.”
According to the company, the storage capability is a major advance. While pollen traditionally lasts only about 30 minutes, PowerPollen has successfully preserved it for six years and counting, maintaining high viability.
“But essentially we’ve built technologies around the stored pollen to go out and collect, preserve, and apply pollen at scale. And so for aspects of seed production, for example, for hybrid corn seed production being a prime example, we’re able to store and apply pollen in ways that help to increase yield and decrease costs of goods.”
Cope says the system has the potential to increase yields and reduce production costs, particularly for hybrid corn seed production. More details are available at PowerPollen.com.
