December 11, 2009

BASF and Monsanto enter into corn development agreement

BASF Plant Science and Monsanto have announced the signing of an agreement to develop and commercialise new corn hybrids with better nutrition for animal feed.

The new hybrids will contain BASF's NutriDense traits that are designed to enhance animal feed performance. NutriDense corn has higher levels of essential amino acids and energy, greater phosphorous availability and is more digestible.

BASF's NutriDense traits will be combined with Monsanto's Roundup Ready Genuity VT Triple PRO and Genuity SmartStax corn. The new high quality hybrids are expected to deliver the best feed value and yields equivalent to elite conventional corn. Once launched, seed companies will market the new hybrids through licensing agreements.

The addition of higher yielding NutriDense corn hybrids from Monsanto plus increased distribution through Monsanto regional brands and other partners will allow animal operations to contract the planting of the enhanced nutrition corn across a broad geography, said Jonathan Bryant, managing director of BASF Plant Science LP.

Corn growers may benefit from the premium pricing opportunity on the product from animal feed operations.

This collaboration will produce new and high-value hybrids for farmers, enabling them to deliver a more nutritious form of corn for feed use to their customers, said Cameron Ator, regional brand lead for Monsanto.

Roughly 45 percent of the corn grown in the US is used as animal feed, with the majority being fed specifically to swine or poultry. A better nutritional composition of the grain fed to the animal reduces costs and waste.

This development and commercialisation agreement will benefit animal producers by offering a greater number of high yielding, high nutritional quality hybrids specifically designed for the swine, poultry, and dairy segment.

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products.

BASF consolidated its plant biotechnology activities in BASF Plant Science in 1998. Its projects include yield increase in staple crops, higher content of Omega-3s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed and potatoes with optimised starch composition for industrial use.