Monsanto introduces BioDirect technology

Monsanto announced addition of new BioDirect technology to the company's R&D pipeline. BioDirect brings Monsanto's expertise in plant genomics to chemistry for the first time, enabling products that could provide new options for sustainable pest or virus control, introduced by Robb Fraley, Chief Technology Officer of Monsanto.

Agricultural biologicals are typically topical or seed treatment products that are produced from natural materials and used to complement or replace agricultural chemical products, Fraley said. These products make up a growing market segment, Fraley noted, and today represent roughly $1.7 billion in sales each year.

Fraley said BioDirect is a natural extension of Monsanto's work in advanced breeding and biotechnology, as it draws on an extensive knowledge of genomics. The BioDirect technology utilizes the application of molecules that are in nature, like RNA, to diminish the production of specific proteins in the target organism.

BioDirect technologies eventually could be used to identify new opportunities for current herbicides, create better insect control options, and offer new virus-control tools. Fraley also cited recent transactions that have complemented and helped accelerate Monsanto's existing work in this space. 

"BioDirect technology has the potential to be one of the most exciting advancements for agriculture that I've seen in my career," Fraley said. "By working with a plant's own naturally-occurring processes, we have the potential to create products that are very precise and specific in how they work and may require smaller and fewer applications than current agricultural products. That's better for farmers, more sustainable and consistent with our vision to create products that enable farmers to produce more and conserve more."