Monsanto to Use Evogene Genes

Monsanto Company and Israel based Evogene Ltd. have announced a collaboration to improve nitrogen use efficiency in corn, soybeans, canola and cotton. Consequently, Monsanto was given exclusive rights to the use of a number of genes discovered by Evogene that allow plants to maintain its yield with decreased applications of nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer accounts for one of the largest input costs in agriculture, and is responsible for more than 20 percent of the operating costs in corn production. Improving nitrogen use efficiency will not only be beneficial for the farmers but also for the environment.

"Monsanto is continually innovating new technologies to help farmers get more out of every seed and to do more with less, including maximizing the nitrogen efficiency of crops,” said Steve Padgette, Monsanto’s vice president of biotechnology. “We look forward to working with Evogene to continue delivering valuable products to farmers’ fields that reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment.”

Read the press release at http://www.evogene.com/news.asp?new_id=45