QFF and Grand Green Launch Joint Development of Next-Generation Breeding Support Services Combining Neutron Beam Breeding and Smart Breeding Platform

Quantum Flowers & Foods (QFF, Mito, Ibaraki) and Grand Green (Nagoya, Aichi) have announced the start of joint development to establish a next-generation crop breeding process. This collaboration leverages QFF's neutron beam breeding technology and Grand Green's 'Smart Breeding Platform'.

QFF provides 'Speedy Breeding®,' a non-GMO crop improvement technology that uses neutron beams to induce diverse mutations in plants and microorganisms. Grand Green is an agribio startup that develops seeds and seedlings using advanced technologies such as genome editing and genomic analysis. They offer end-to-end breeding solutions, from strategic planning to commercialization, for agriculture, forestry, food processing materials, and energy crops.

In this joint project, the companies will first use tomato breeding as a model to verify the possibility of creating new useful strains and the effectiveness of their integrated process. Based on these insights, they plan to expand to other crops and offer breeding support services to third-party companies, integrating everything from mutation induction to evaluation, selection, and development support.

### Background of Joint Development
In recent years, the agricultural sector has faced challenges like climate change, disease risks, and diversifying consumer needs, necessitating crops with higher functionality, stability, and environmental adaptability.

Developing breakthrough varieties requires active creation of genetic diversity and efficient selection processes. Traditional breeding methods can take a long time to achieve desired traits. There is high expectation for efficient services that combine advanced mutation and selection technologies.

QFF's 'Speedy Breeding®' enables the exploration of new useful traits by inducing mutations that are difficult to obtain through conventional methods, all without using GMOs. Grand Green's 'Smart Breeding Platform' accelerates the evaluation and selection process through genomic analysis and generation advancement.

### Future Prospects and 'Pinpoint Breeding'
The companies will also explore the potential of 'Pinpoint Breeding.' This approach uses genomic insights to identify genes responsible for useful traits and then utilizes non-GMO breeding techniques to develop strains with those specific traits. This allows for flexible breeding support tailored to regional regulations and market needs.