Genetically modified corn produced in greenhouse

Click here to watch the short video of the new greenhouse tour.

"We use data science. We use genomics," said Michael Graham, head of plant breeding. "You see the advanced automation that we use, and it all comes together to build that next generation of product."

Bayer took News 4 Tucson on a tour.

The greenhouse is fully automated with engineers making sure the computers do what they are supposed to do.

"Our intent here is to make sure we have the perfect environment that allows corn to grow the way you see it here so that we can actually develop and provide seeds to our researchers and they can manage it in their breeding program," said Graham.

So it is out with the old and in with the new.

But what does this mean for traditional farmers and their product?

"There is no reason to believe any of this will have any impact on traditional farmers," said Graham.

"I think the technology in agriculture is such a big innovation that we are doing right now," said Nola McAlister, a Marana High School student. "Everybody always thinks of horses and cows and traditional farming."

McAlister said agriculture is so much more than that.

"We are not in a traditional world anymore. We are in a modern world, everything is urbanized," said McAlister. "Everything we do, there is not much farm land left so everything that we are doing, has to go in technology, the way we are growing, we have to be smarter about it."

McAlister hopes to take her passion to instill in others by becoming an agriculture teacher one day.

"To be able to let future students know that it is plant science, animal science, anything you want to do business wise, always comes back to agriculture," she said.

Without this greenhouse, it would be impossible to grow corn here in the desert.

Source: News 4 Tucson KVOA

Photo: Screenshot of News 4 Tucson KVOA video.

Source: News 4 Tucson KVOA