A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
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Monsanto, the giant biotech group, has said it will make public its genetic soybean technology as part of a pledge to help the industry engineer a high-tech soybean with better yields, higher protein and improved oils.
Monsanto said the release would include approximately 200 'simple sequence repeat' genetic markers that were developed jointly with the US Department of Agriculture.
The United Soybean Board's 'Better Bean Initiative' will receive the genetic markers this month, Monsanto said.
Scientists 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, Monsanto said.
"Monsanto shares the USB's goal of developing enhanced soybeans which can ultimately create value for US 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.
"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 US soybeans demand," said USB vice chairman David Durham, a soybean farmer who is chairman of the USB's BBI advisory panel.
This is the third commitment of genetic material that Monsanto has made to the Better Bean Initiative in the past two years.