Monsanto, Mendel partner to develop high-yield Chinese miscanthus for US market

Monsanto will provide crop-testing, breeding and seed-production services to the Bioenergy Seeds & Feedstocks unit of Mendel Biotechnology in new partnership just announced. Mendel will apply the techniques to unique Chinese strains of miscanthus it owns, in hopes of introducing high yield biofuel miscanthus to the US market. Both Monsanto and BP own stakes in Mendel.

The head of Monsanto said last fall that there there should not be a food versus fuel debate, but a food and fuel effort focused on increased yields. He said that yields in some parts of the world are only 10 percent of US yields, and that an improved regulatory environment in, for example, Africa, would pave the way to improved crop productivity.

He said that developing drought-resistant strains of corn and providing conventional corn hybrids to developing nations should be a priority. He warned that, without a biotechnology approval process in place, Africa would never catch up to the developed world in crop yields.

The remarks come as the heads of Brazil, India and South Africa commence their IBSA meeting to coordinate development of South-South trade and as Brazil’s president Luis Igacio Lula da Silva concludes a four-country African tour aimed at promoting biofuels and signing trade and development agreements.
Recently, Monsanto predicted that corn yields will reach 300 bushels per acre by 2030, vs 155.8 projected for this year’s harvest. The company projects increases from molecular breeding and other biotechnologies will produce the gains.

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