Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082203120300.htm

Back Monsanto developing products to improve yields, cut costs

G. Chandrashekhar

Using cutting-edge technology

The most important of the company's R&D work relates to researching healthier food products towards providing consumers several advantages.

St. Louis (US) , Aug. 21

With genetically modified food and non-food crops well entrenched in the US over the last 10 years and rapidly making inroads in different parts of the world, global life-science major Monsanto is on its way into developing newer products directed at farmers, processors and consumers.

For this correspondent, a visit to the company's Chesterfield Village Research facility near here was informative.

The portfolio of new products in the pipeline using cutting-edge technology includes seeds that help increase productivity or reduce costs by improving yield.

Work on improving protection from biotic and abiotic stresses — from insects and diseases or increasing tolerance to heat, drought and other stress — is a notable part of the company's current research and development effort.

One of the significant research priorities is to develop drought-tolerant traits to help corn (maize) thrive in challenging environments, a company spokesperson said, adding that Monsanto was researching nitrogen utilisation to allow corn to more efficiently use nitrogen.

"The crops we are in the process of developing are programmed to manage limited water resources. They will utilise water efficiently and withstand moisture stress conditions," a scientist at the research facility pointed out.

Bio-fuel demand

As for delivering benefits to processors, research efforts are directed towards improving the quality and content of animal feed, food and energy source.

For instance, to cater to rapidly expanding demand for bio-fuels in the wake of high crude prices, Monsanto has made advances in research to produce high oil content soyabean for processing as also higher ethanol extraction through higher starch in corn.

The US is a very large user of ethanol (produced from corn or sugarcane) that is blended with gasoline.

Soyabean oil is converted into bio-diesel through a process called trans-esterification.

To accelerate research in using plants for bio-fuel, Monsanto will team up for at least three years with scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, a Department of Energy centre operated by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sandia Corporation, it was reported recently.

Sandia will provide access to cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging and analysis technology developed and patented by it, a move that will enhance Monsanto's existing plant biotechnology expertise.

Scientists are upbeat on the possibility that the collaboration at some stage may open up the possibility of converting cellulosic biomass — things like corn stover and switch grass — into transportation fuel.

Perhaps the most important of the company's R&D work relates to researching healthier food products towards providing consumers advantages such as better tasting protein or oil, improved fatty acid balance and zero-transfat, or carbohydrate enhancement.

Following mandatory labelling of transfats in food in the US and several food companies opting out of using hydrogenated soyabean oil because of the transfat problem, the company has come out with Vistive which is low-linolenic soyabean designed to help food companies reduce or eliminate transfats.

To promote Vistive, Monsanto works with agribusiness major Cargill.

The latter supplies the seed to soyabean growers and buys back the harvested produce.