Memphis, Tennessee
July 15, 2009
The donation of molecular markers
announced by Monsanto Company
and Texas
AgriLife in April has been completed today with the
publication of an in-depth article in the current issue of
the Journal of Cotton Science. “New SSR Markers for Use in
Cotton (Gossypium spp.) Improvement” was authored by breeders
from Monsanto,
Texas A&M
University and
United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research
Service.
"The buzz around our making our SSR marker collection in cotton
available to the public came in April but this publication is
the start of progress in the scientific community,” according to
John Purcell, global cotton technology lead for Monsanto. “Now
cotton breeders around the world have access to detailed genetic
information on a large group of varieties.”
Purcell adds, “Farmers are familiar with the improvement
breeders can make on the farm with advances in yield potential,
fiber quality and disease resistance. This donation to the
public domain means hundreds of breeders will have better
information to use in their programs.”
The marker set includes approximately 4,000 cotton molecular
markers and associated information received significant
attention from the cotton and scientific communities when
announced. Cotton breeders anticipate discussing various
projects that will benefit from the new information in cottonDB
during the 2009 Cotton Breeder Tour later this month.
Additional information about the donation is
available online.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains
focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to
produce more from their land while conserving more of our
world's natural resources such as water and energy. |
|
