Maize for earlier planting,lower nitrogen losses,and stronger farm resilience.
A new generation of maize designed for modern farming, built to perform under pressure: leverage maize's photosynthesis, reduce input dependency, increase yield, and minimize environmental impact.
Designing maize for the realities of modern agriculture.
Grounded in advanced plant science and designed for real world fields CERCA - Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture - comes from a simple observation: temperate maize systems leave value on the table when crop biology, spring nitrogen availability, and the farm calendar are out of sync.
How CERCA works
From biology to our farms, one connected system.
CERCA connects discovery to real-world outcomes through a simple chain.
Step 1
Genetic variation
Identify useful biological diversity linked to early vigor, nitrogen use efficiency, and better adaptation.
Step 2
Trait expression
Turn that variation into visible crop function: stronger seedling establishment and better nutrient uptake and light interception.
Step 3
Field performance
Test whether those traits improve developmental timing, plant resilience, nitrogen capture, and increase yield.
Step 4
Economic return
Measure whether better biology translates into higher value and improved land stewardship.
CERCA Pillars
1
Cold-tolerant establishment
Help maize use early-season light and spring soil nitrogen.
2
Less unnecessary nitrogen in grain
Shift emphasis toward the starch value most markets reward.
3
More nitrogen retained on the farm
Reduce avoidable losses and support a tighter nutrient loop.
Season
Season dynamics
Modeling plants, farms, environments and economics to determine the most important combinations of traits and U.S. environments.
Evaluating related wild and domesticated species that have cold tolerance and recycle nutrients to discover traits, then determine the genetic basis of the traits.
Built for the farm gate, the local economy, and the places that depend on both.
Why matters now
50–60%
of U.S. nitrogen fertilizer supports a grain crop with more starch than protein
~25%
of the temperate year is when maize’s canopy operates at full efficiency
11%
of nitrogen applied in U.S. crop production is estimated to reach human consumption
Operational logic
More timing control, not just more input.
Farmers respond to windows, bottlenecks, and margins—not abstract ideals.
Economic logic
Better nitrogen efficiency can protect profit margin.
Each dollar of fertility can support more harvestable value.
Community logic
Rural trust grows when innovation feels usable.
CERCA works better when it respects farmers as decision-makers and operators.
“The best agricultural innovation stories do not ask rural communities to choose between productivity and responsibility.”
CERCA Team
A distributed network advancing resilient maize systems.
Click each location to meet the collaborators contributing expertise across genetics, agronomy, modeling, economics, and outreach.
By integrating genetics, field performance, and economic perspectives, this collaboration ensures that innovations are not only scientifically sound, but also practical, scalable, and meaningful for farmers.
CERCA is strengthened by the support of institutions and partners committed to advancing resilient, nitrogen efficient maize systems.
We are grateful for the organizations that contribute expertise, infrastructure, and shared vision to help translate interdisciplinary research into practical agricultural impact.
