Soyabean disease research extended by another year

Evogene, a plant genomics company looking at enhancing crop productivity for the biofuels industries, has extend and expand its multi-year research collaboration with DuPont Pioneer for developing soyabean varieties displaying resistance to Asian Soybean Rust (ASR).

Soyabean is a crop which supplies protein for human and animal consumption, as well as feedstock for oil production. ASR is a major disease that affects the crop, mostly in the prime soyabean growing regions of North and South America.

As part of the original collaboration, signed in 2011, Evogene and Pioneer established a joint research programme aimed at identifying and validating novel genes portraying the highest probability for in-plant resistance to ASR.

Under this new one-year extension, the parties will add Evogene's Gene2Product computational platform to the gene discovery programme. The platform, which offers gene optimisation by using advanced gene stacking and regulation prediction, is designed to improve the efficacy and probability of success of the resulting novel seed products.

‘Asian soyabean rust remains a challenge for growers,’ says Gusui Wu, senior research director of DuPont Pioneer. ‘We value our collaboration with Evogene and their technology strengths to help deliver effective resistance to this devastating disease to our customers.’

The original collaboration programme included partial funding by the BIRD Foundation, a bi-national foundation which supports and encourages cooperation between Israeli and American companies in various areas of technology.