Bayer opens new greenhouse at Memphis, US

Bayer CropScience celebrated the grand opening of its newest research facility, a $17 million, 76,000-square-foot state-of-the-art greenhouse and headhouse addition to its Memphis site. The site is a hub for cultivating cotton and soybean solutions for the international market. The greenhouse, located at Agricenter International, is part of Bayer’s commitment to invest EUR 7 billion in research and development and Capital Expenditures (CAPEX), as well as expand production capacities and seed breeding facilities globally, between 2011 and 2016. 

 

“Driving innovation requires giving our scientists world-class facilities and tools. Our greenhouse is unique in its scale and global scope, and will help Bayer CropScience better serve growers by giving them more choices for improving their crop quality and yield,” said Mike Gilbert, Head of Global Breeding and Trait Development for Bayer CropScience. “We are excited that Memphis continues to grow as a global leader in agriculture and that our relationship with Agricenter International, the world’s largest urban farm and research test facility, has allowed us to continue our efforts in agriculture and bioscience solution development.”

 

The new greenhouse, which includes a spacious headhouse and open office area, will accommodate research to increase the number of traits available for cotton varieties in the United States and international markets. Overall, the Memphis site supports all of the company’s cotton brands, including Stoneville® and Fibermax®, as well as soybean breeding and management, molecular breeding and management, and stewardship management. The site’s North American cotton trait introgression work also supports Bayer CropScience’s cotton seed business development in South America and Africa. 

 

“As a valued partner in promoting the livelihood and success of our growers, we are invested in growth and innovation across the country to develop new products and solutions, including those for cotton seed,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “Our new Memphis facility is part of a commitment to the greater Memphis area, and it is from this base that we seek to continue our local economic impact as well as thought leadership on global agriculture and bioscience issues.” 

 

Memphis is the latest Bayer CropScience location to open a new greenhouse. In 2012, the $20 million, 60,000-square foot Greenhouse 5 facility opened at the company’s North American and global Seeds headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, which will be joined on campus next year by Greenhouse 1, a 29,500-square-foot facility that is part of a $29.6 million site expansion. 

 

“Our newest greenhouse is part of a series of investments that reinforce our national and global efforts and commitment to improving the lives of people in the communities we serve,” said Blome. “The high-level research and development taking place at these facilities will allow us to leave a better world through promoting ‘Science: for a Better Life.’”

 

In support of company-wide environmentally compatible practices, the Memphis greenhouse was designed with sustainability in mind. The automation incorporated into the facility’s design means the greenhouse will have a reduced carbon footprint, which means less materials used in construction and an approximate 40 percent reduction annually in natural gas and electricity consumption. Additionally, the facility will include sensor detecting light fixtures, high efficiency greenhouse lights with longer-lasting ballasts, recycled greenhouse water to irrigate seedlings, as well as hands-free plumbing fixtures.