Share in Itaconix PLC (AIM:ITX, OTCQB:ITXXF, FRA:18G0) rose 5% to 110p after it said it will be running field trials on American corn farms this growing season to assess whether its polymer technology can improve nutrient uptake in crops.
The plant-based polymer specialist is working with a small number of farms in the United States to test a product under the tradename BioVail GRZ 200L on corn crops, with full results expected after harvest.
Itaconix has periodically assessed crop production applications for its polymers over 15 years, with prior collaboration work and small-scale internal studies indicating some potential.
If the trials show promise, Itaconix plans to expand the scope and scale of testing over the following years to substantiate claims ahead of any full commercial push.
Chief executive John Shaw said the company's polymers had long shown technical potential beyond their core consumer product markets, adding that early work suggested opportunities to improve plant growth through nutrient delivery and uptake.
Shaw described the trials as an important next step in evaluating performance under real agricultural conditions, while cautioning the work remained at an early stage and would require assessment over multiple growing seasons.
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