A new agreement between Monsanto Co., the University of Illinois and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is expected to generate a greater understanding of soybean rust and provide plant breeders with a new ability to select for rust resistance more accurately and more efficiently.

A new agreement between Monsanto Co., the University of Illinois and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is expected to generate a greater understanding of soybean rust and provide plant breeders with a new ability to select for rust resistance more accurately and more efficiently. The agreement will first work to identify the location of rust resistance genes within the soybean genome using genetic markers. Ultimately, the parties also plan to use the information to enhance their respective breeding capabilities with the goal of someday developing soybean lines resistant to strains of the disease.