Evolution powers new cotton seed innovation

In the sunbaked Texas Panhandle, where water is scarce and fertiliser costs are soaring, a new way of breeding cotton is taking root – one that promises to thrive without irrigation and with 30% less fertiliser.

The driving force? Avalo, a US start-up that’s letting nature, not just scientists, take the lead in seed innovation. “We’re redirecting natural processes and accelerating the development of new varieties of cotton,” says Mariano Alvarez, Avalo’s co-founder and chief science officer. An evolutionary biologist and computational geneticist, Alvarez launched the company four and a half years ago with his best friend, spinning out technology from Duke University to help farmers grow more resilient, sustainable crops.