11/09/06 An investiment in biofuels research

Washington Ag November 9, 2006 An international company has formally joined forces with University of Idaho plant breeder Jack Brown to develop high-value oilseed crops worldwide for alternative fuel production. An agreement announced Wednesday between the U of I and Eco-Energy Ltd will bring $2 million in research funding during the next five years to Brown, who has developed mustard, canola and rapeseed varieties adapted to the Pacific Northwest and other U.S. regions. Brown says under the agreement the U of I will develop new varieties tailored for world-wide adaptation with high oil yield for all climatic and environmental conditions. Brown: "Eco-Energy, despite the fact they are putting substantial funds into our program will not have any rights to these cultivars in Idaho or indeed in the United States. Our cultivars will be handled in the United States in exactly as the same way as they are and made freely available to our farming community. In fact they are our clientele. They are our number one customer and that will not change." Eco-Energy can if it wants license and commercialize varieties outside the United States. Brown says the two million dollar investment will sustain five staff positions in the breeding program and allow the addition of three to four graduate students and three to four undergraduate students to the program. I'm Bob Hoff.