St. Louis, Missouri
May 13, 2002
As part of its pledge to share
technology, Monsanto
announced today its intent to release approximately two hundred
Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) genetic markers to accelerate the
development of a soybean with improved oils, better yields and
more protein.
Monsanto and United States Department of Agriculture cooperated
in the development this technology. Dr. Perry Cregan, a
researcher with the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA
developed the markers at the Soybean Genomic and Improvement
Laboratory of the Plant Sciences Institute at the Beltsville
Agricultural Research Center in Maryland. Monsanto will release
these genetic markers to the United Soybean Board's checkoff
funded Better Bean Initiative. They will be made available to
the public sector via the USB's Technology Utilization Center
during May 2002.
"Monsanto shares the USB's goal of developing enhanced soybeans
which can ultimately create value for U.S. soy producers and
provide an even healthier soybean for consumers," said Carl
Casale, vice president and general manager for Monsanto's North
American agriculture business. "In line with the Monsanto Pledge
and our tenet of sharing knowledge and technology to improve the
agriculture industry, Monsanto is pleased to share this
technology with the U.S. soybean industry."
Scientists often use genetic markers as a flag to identify the
specific location of a genetic trait of interest on a
chromosome. By flagging the desired trait, plant breeders can
breed plants more efficiently. These markers enable researchers
to rapidly analyze soybean plants and identify individuals that
have the best expression of a desired trait e.g. yield or oil
content. This means that U.S. growers get access to better
soybean varieties faster.
"Monsanto has been a valuable partner with the soybean checkoff
through their contributions in support of the Better Bean
Initiative," said USB Vice Chairman David Durham, a soybean
farmer from Hardin, MO and Chairman of USB's BBI Advisory Panel.
"The SSR markers are important tools for plant breeders and can
accelerate the development of soybean varieties with improved
protein and oil qualities that customers of the U.S. soybeans
demand."
Today's announcement is the latest action by the company to
implement the Monsanto Pledge. The Monsanto Pledge is a series
of commitments that describe the company's policies for the
products developed through biotechnology.
This is the third commitment of genetic material that Monsanto
has made to the checkoff funded Better Bean Initiative in the
past two years. In May 2001, the company donated a Simple
Sequence Repeat (SSR) genetic marker to the Better Bean
Initiative. This genetic marker identifies the low palmitic
fatty acid trait within the soybean genome and is expected to
quickly accelerate the Better Bean Initiative's goal of
developing a low saturate soybean. In June of 2001, Monsanto
announced that it would share
a series of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-end sequences
with USB. Scientists will use BAC-end sequences to better
understand the soybean genome by identifying the location of
specific genetic markers on chromosomes within a genome.
The mission of the checkoff-funded Better Bean Initiative is to
step up the development and availability of U.S. soybean seed
with enhanced composition traits. The USB has been working with
public and private sector industry partners from the food, feed
and seed industries to leverage resources and determine the most
efficient way to bring these new soybean products to market. The
development of soybean seed with enhanced traits will better
position U.S. soybeans to meet the needs of oil and protein
end-users and improve the economic value for U.S. soybean
farmers. The Better Bean Initiative (BBI) also helps U.S.
soybean farmers match and outpace increased competition from
other soybean-producing countries, as well as other protein and
vegetable oil sources. Monsanto Company has been a cooperator in
the Better Bean Initiative since January 2000.
The Technology Utilization Center is a virtual center,
created as a tool of the Better Bean Initiative, to access,
combine and provide new traits for commodity soybeans. It
provides a way to bring together the public and private sectors
to help achieve the overall BBI goals.
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information
on Monsanto, see:
www.monsanto.com. For more information on the United Soybean
Board and the soybean checkoff, visit
www.unitedsoybean.org.
|