Monsanto Provides Free Access to Soybean Pest Marker Technology

Academic researchers and public institutions who request access to Monsanto’s soybean cyst nematode marker technology will now be given a royalty-free license, according to the company. Scientists and soybean breeders are expected to use this technology to effectively develop new soybean varieties aimed at resisting the yield-robbing cyst nematode.

The United States Department of Agriculture reported that soybean cyst nematode has threatened the U.S. crop since the 1950s, reducing returns to soybean producers by $500 million each year and reducing yields by as much as 75 percent.

"During the past seven years we have been investigating ways to identify cyst nematode resistant traits in soybeans using genetic markers. By sharing what we know, researchers around the world will be able to more accurately identify resistant soybeans and breed for them," said Bob Reiter, Vice President of Breeding Technology for Monsanto.

The press release is available at http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=458.