Monsanto inks deal with land grant university on wheat breeding
Farm and Ranch June 16, 2010 Kansas State University and Monsanto have announced a partnership that will allow them to share germplasm and technology and ultimately improve their wheat breeding programs. The agreement is non-exclusive, with both parties free to form additional collaborative arrangements with other public or private entities. Dana Peterson, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers says this is an exciting development and she expects more public-private agreements to be announced in the coming months. Peterson: “Our land grant institutions are developing relationships with private entities to deliver technologies that in the near term will help expand the yield potential of the varieties coming out of our land grants.” There is no commercialized biotech wheat anywhere in the world but NAWG believes biotechnology’s introduction into wheat is necessary for the wheat industry to increase productivity and attract acres back to the crop. A 2009 survey of U.S. wheat growers showed more than three-quarters of them support the use of tools like biotechnology to improve wheat. In the Northwest, Washington State University has had discussions with Monsanto on a potential partnership in wheat breeding. Wheat grower representatives have participated in some of the discussions. The Monsanto agreement with K-State has the blessing of the Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
