Monsanto, BASF Form Biotech Plant Pact

BASF and Monsanto have joined in a long-term R&D and commercialization agreement in plant biotechnology. The joint venture will focus on development of high-yield crops and crops that are tolerant of adverse environmental conditions such as drought. The agreement calls for a potential joint budget of $1.5 billion to fund a pipeline of high-yield and stress-tolerance traits for corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola. It will include the firms' existing and planned R&D programs and will be made up of projects generated by third-party plant biotechnology R&D and research from each company. The first product developed by the venture is expected to be commercialized before 2015.