St. Louis-Monsanto Co. is extending its research and collaboration with Evogene Ltd. to focus on identifying key plant genes related to yield, environmental stress, and fertilizer utilization, according to a joint announcement. The five-year agreement is intended to enhance research efforts to discover and deliver novel, yield-enhancing technologies to help with increasing global demand for grain. Monsanto believes this new collaboration will help support its commitment to double yields in its core crops by 2030 and strengthen its ongoing work with Evogene. In September 2007, the two companies announced a collaboration to improve nitrogen use efficiency in corn, soybeans, canola, and cotton. Monsanto will now get candidate Evogene genes predicted to improve yield, fertilizer utilization, and a plant’s reaction to environmental stress for validation in model plants. This will give Monsanto access to new genes, strengthening its entire gene discovery program. Monsanto will receive exclusive licensing rights to such genes in a number of crops and products that emerge and will be commercialized by Monsanto. Separately, Monsanto said it has purchased an $18 million equity in Evogene and has agreed to purchase an additional $12 million in the future.
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