ABSTRACT: A process is provided for detecting and isolating soybean plants in the absence of induced mutagenesis that exhibit naturally-occurring genetically-controlled glyphosate herbicide resistance that is not attributable to genetic engineering.

Mature soybean seeds initially are soaked in a liquid comprising a glyphosate herbicide for a period of time sufficient for the herbicide to reach the embryos of the soybean seeds. Following such soaking the soybean seeds are planted to produce at least one soybean plant or a descendant thereof in a subsequent generation that displays resistance to glyphosate herbicide. The existence of the naturally-occurring glyphosate herbicide resistance in a soybean plant is confirmed by demonstrating the absence of a foreign gene for herbicide resistance that has been introduced by genetic engineering. Such herbicide resistance is generally-controlled and can be reliably expressed and transferred to other soybean plants by conventional plant breeding methods.

Inventors: Davis; William H. (Plainview, TX)
Assignee: Natural Genes, Inc. (Plainview, TX)
Appl. No.: 119194
Filed: April 10, 2002

This is rather interesting… what are your thoughts?