Monsanto Technology LLC

Greg A Penner

Vergel C Concibido

Timothy W Conner

Stefan A Bledig

Jawed Asrar

Dennis Paul Phillion

Michael K Stern

Ernest F Sanders

Theunis E M Odendaal

Jeffrey S Coultas

Maurice R De Billot

Schalk Van Wyk

Theunis M Odendaal

A method of improving the yield and vigor of agronomic plants, in particular leguminous plants such as soybeans, involves treating such plants and/or the propagation material of plants with a composition that includes an active agent, such as a fungicide, that has no significant activity against fungal plant pathogens of the treated plant. When the plant is not wheat, a preferred agent of this type is 4,5-dimethyl-N-(2-propenyl)-2-(trimethylsilyl)-3-thiophenecarboxamide (silthiofam). Plants and plant propagation material, such as seeds, that have been treated by the novel method are also described.

Method of improving yield and vigor of plants

Utilizing phenotypic markers in seeds or plants to allow qualitative detection of a proprietary trait in the harvest, to allow a quantitative calculation of the amount of the trait, and to facilitate the calculation and collection of fees for the trait. The phenotypic markers of the seeds can be the seed coat color, and said seeds can be homozygous or heterozygous for the phenotypic difference of seed coat color. Commercial cultivars of seeds with the phenotypic difference of seed color may be grown to include several different seed colors. Trait fees may be assessed on all grain with the proprietary trait, whether the grain was produced from purchased seed or from seed saved from a previous harvest.

Identification of seeds or plants using phenotypic markers

Growing community of inventors

Winnipeg, Canada

Greg A Penner