A Seattle-based biotechnology company is working on developing a crop that is somewhat of a cross between corn and sugar cane.

According to a story in the Kansas City Star, Targeted Growth has been testing “sugarcorn” in test plots in Illinois and Indiana.

Sugarcorn is a takeoff on a type of maize grown in the tropics, which grows traditional ears of corn.

Researchers found that when the tropical corn has a longer growing day, such as those in the Midwest, it delays its flowering and sends more energy into making sugar in the stalk instead of producing starch in the corn.

Targeted Growth is hoping to make sugarcorn commercially available in two years.