Seed and trait companies continue to operate under a dual persona. They're fierce competitors, but partner in some key areas.

One example announced this week is Monsanto granting a new royalty-bearing Roundup Ready 2 Yield license to Dow AgroSciences. The new agreement expands Dow AgroSciences' trait stacking and existing licensing rights across its soybean seed brands and licensing partners.

Under the agreement:

• Monsanto grants Dow AgroSciences a non-exclusive, royalty-bearing license in the United States to develop, produce, sell, and sublicense seed and germplasm with Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology.
• Dow AgroSciences also receives an option to license the Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology in other territories where Monsanto plans to commercialize this technology, after Monsanto has obtained regulatory approval in such countries, including key soybean producing countries like Brazil.
• Dow AgroSciences gains the rights to stack Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology with other biotechnology traits.
• Dow AgroSciences also gains the rights to out license Dow AgroSciences' germplasm containing Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology, alone or in stacks, to third parties that hold Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield licenses from Monsanto.
• Additional specific details of the agreement were not disclosed.

"We are confident that this new agreement will be as successful as we have been with our SmartStax corn collaboration," says Brett Begemann, Monsanto executive vice president of global seeds and traits.

Seed and trait companies continue to operate under a dual persona. They're fierce competitors, but partner in some key areas.