ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Agriculture plays a critical role in our daily lives– including supporting our food and clothing needs; driving on-farm practices to reduce plowing and preserve our soils; or through improved land productivity practices which protect our planet’s precious natural resources and biodiversity. This work has never been more important. Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) showcased today a wide range of agriculture solutions which are being developed to assist farmers as they work to grow better harvests, protect their crops and deliver more to society. The company highlighted a series of innovations under development across its research and development (R&D) portfolio – across its research platforms in plant breeding, plant biotechnology, chemistry, biologicals and data science. “Increasingly, farmers throughout the world are being asked to do more to keep up with the growing demands of society and manage key challenges that prevent food and crops from making it to harvest,” said Robert Fraley, Ph.D., Monsanto’s chief technology officer. “Science is helping us identify new solutions to help farmers reduce the footprint of global agriculture while also mitigating the effects of the challenges they face – whether from bugs, weeds, disease or weather. This research combined with continuous improvements in farming practices and collaborations with other thought leaders – can truly make a difference for farmers, the consumers they serve and our planet.” Monsanto’s R&D Platforms Support Sustainable Agriculture Practices by: 1. Reducing the footprint of global ag production through better harvests The world’s current footprint utilized for global ag production is under continuous pressure. Expanding urban populations and growing demands for increased food and clothing, mean that farmers must identify ways to deliver more agriculture products on the existing land they farm. This work is vitally important as existing agriculture lands are a critical resource to capture carbon from the environment. The ability to do more on this footprint means that additional land masses do not need to be brought into production – an action that can help further stem the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. Monsanto is developing a number of key innovations to support farmers in these efforts – projects highlighted today include: New developments in plant breeding, such as the High-Density Corn Systems, are being developed to help farmers sustainably grow more crops on each acre. The research project is expected to allow farmers to increase the number of plants per acre, creating greater harvests. Early-stage research in plant biotechnology, including Next-Generation Higher-Yielding Corn and Next-Generation Higher-Yielding Soybean projects, are expected to offer farmers the ability to boost the inherent output potential of their crops. The research, which Monsanto is conducting in collaboration with BASF, is already showing early progress in field trials and uncovering enhancements not easily accomplished by breeding – including the identification of multiple plant traits to increase crop yields. Advancements in digital agriculture tools, including The Climate Corporation’s Climate FieldView DriveTM and Script Creator in Climate FieldView ProTM are now helping farmers increase their on-farm productivity. 2. Protecting the footprint of global ag production from increasing threats Every season farmers work to mitigate pressures from insects, weeds and diseases on their crops. Environmental variables can impact the potential of their harvests and, as a result, their profitability. The effects of climate change and increasingly variable weather can further exacerbate these pressures. Monsanto is developing multiple innovations to assist farmers as they continue to mitigate these challenges including: Next-generation weed control technologies, including Roundup Ready 2 XtendTM soybeans and Bollgard II® XtendFlexTM cotton, are poised to offer farmers new ways to mitigate challenges from yield-robbing weeds. The herbicide-tolerant technologies will enable greater flexibility in weed management – offering farmers the ability to adopt and maintain conservation tillage practices, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and creates savings in fuel. New insect-protection technologies, including Fourth-Generation Above-Ground Insect Protected Corn, Fourth-Generation Below-Ground Insect Protected Corn and Third-Generation Insect Protected Soybeans, are now under development. These projects would offer farmers new ways to protect their crops from multiple insects while minimizing insecticide use on farm. Insect damage to plants and excessive moisture can cause outbreaks of plant diseases on farms and limit the productivity of crops. Research in plant biotechnology and chemistry are identifying approaches to target and mitigate the impact of diseases that affect corn plants. Monsanto’s Corn Disease Control project is developing corn plants with broad resistance to damaging diseases. Through a collaboration with Bayer Crop Science, the Acceleron® seed treatment Enhanced Fungicides offering, is aimed at managing disease infections during key stages of the growing season. 3. Delivering continuous improvement to global ag production As farmers look to deliver better harvests on existing farmland and protect their crops, the agriculture sector must continue to find ways to improve the practices used to grow crops to meet the demands of society. Monsanto is developing novel approaches to improve harvests, while preserving the planet’s natural resources and biodiversity. This work includes: Research to promote the health of honey bees which are critically important to our food system. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that bees pollinate more than one-third of crops annually and increase productivity of 75 percent of all crops grown globally. However, honey bee hives are routinely impacted by the Varroa mite – a threat which introduces viruses into the bee’s home and greatly reduces their numbers and productivity. Research underway at Monsanto, called BioDirectTM Bee Health, represents the world’s first biological approach to target this devastating threat to these vital pollinators. Research in soil microbials is uncovering new tools, such as an enhanced corn inoculant, that increases the overall harvest opportunity. The research, which is being conducted through The BioAg Alliance – Monsanto’s collaboration with Novozymes – focuses on microbial growth along plant roots, improving nutrient access and unlocking yield potential. Advancements in digital tools are poised to help farmers optimize the use of nitrogen on their farms. The Climate Corporation’s Nitrogen Advisor and its Sub-Field Nitrogen enhancement are designed to provide farmers with insights on nitrogen rates and timing. Continuous innovation in chemistry is generating new breakthrough innovations such as the Improved Dicamba Formulation II project. This formulation is expected to provide farmers with a higher-concentrated, lower use-rate product – a development which will enable greater flexibility for farmers and reduce the footprint of shipping and packaging for this new product. Information about Monsanto’s R&D Pipeline, Projects and Collaborations Additional information on Monsanto’s R&D pipeline, the projects outlined in this press release as well as other research projects are available online at www.monsanto.com and at www.monsanto.com/pipeline. Monsanto’s R&D pipeline was also showcased as part of the company’s fiscal 2016 first quarter announcement earlier today. For more information about today’s earnings announcement, see the press release and supporting resources available at www.monsanto.com. About Monsanto Company Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this release are “forward-looking statements,” such as statements concerning the company’s anticipated financial results, current and future product performance, regulatory approvals, business and financial plans and other non-historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations and currently available information. However, since these statements are based on factors that involve risks and uncertainties, the company’s actual performance and results may differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among others: continued competition in seeds, traits and agricultural chemicals; the company’s exposure to various contingencies, including those related to intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and the speed with which approvals are received, and public understanding and acceptance of our biotechnology and other agricultural products; the success of the company’s research and development activities; the outcomes of major lawsuits and the previously-announced SEC investigation; developments related to foreign currencies and economies; pursuit of acquisitions or other transactions; fluctuations in commodity prices; compliance with regulations affecting our manufacturing; the accuracy of the company’s estimates related to distribution inventory levels; the recent increases in and expected higher levels of indebtedness; the company’s ability to fund its short-term financing needs and to obtain payment for the products that it sells; the effect of weather conditions, natural disasters, accidents, and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents, on the agriculture business or the company’s facilities; and other risks and factors detailed in the company’s most recent periodic report to the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this release. The company disclaims any current intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements or any of the factors that may affect actual results. Notes to editors: Monsanto and the Vine Design, Beyond the Rows, Fieldview, Acceleron, BioDirect, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend and Bollgard II XtendFlex are trademarks of Monsanto Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Contact: for Monsanto Company Lee Quarles, 314-694-2330