Pairwise Partners with Ball Horticultural Company for Ornamental Crop Gene Editing

Key Takeaways

• Pairwise announced a licensing agreement with Ball Horticultural Company, granting Ball access to the Fulcrum genome editing platform for ornamental crops.
• The agreement covers more than 40 ornamental species including roses, impatiens, petunias, hydrangeas, dianthus, and begonias in Ball's core crop portfolio.
• This marks the first application of Pairwise's Fulcrum technology in ornamental crops, bringing precision genome editing to the multi-billion-dollar global ornamental market.
• Ball Horticultural Company, founded in 1905 and now in its fourth generation of family ownership, operates across six continents in 20 countries.
• The licensing agreement includes both research and commercial purposes, with a commercial option allowing Ball to bring edited ornamental varieties to the global market.

Pairwise Expands Fulcrum Platform into Ornamental Market

Durham-based agriculture innovator Pairwise has entered the ornamental crops sector through a new licensing agreement with Ball Horticultural Company, one of the world's leading ornamental plant breeders and distributors. The partnership grants Ball access to Pairwise's proprietary Fulcrum genome editing platform, marking the technology's first application in ornamental horticulture.

The agreement covers Ball's extensive portfolio of more than 40 ornamental species, including popular varieties such as roses, impatiens, petunias, hydrangeas, dianthus, and begonias. Ball will integrate Fulcrum tools into its research and development pipeline to create ornamental varieties with enhanced sustainability, performance, and consumer appeal.

Leadership Vision for Gene Editing in Ornamentals

“Genome editing has the potential to reshape what's possible in ornamental breeding,” said Jason Jandrew, Chief Research and Development Officer of Ball Horticultural Company. “We're excited about what the intersection of our deep knowledge of genetics and traditional breeding, coupled with advanced technologies like Fulcrum, can bring to delight our customers and serve our mission to color the world.”