Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences recently announced plans to cross-license genes and offer an eight-gene-stack hybrid for corn. The companies expect the stacked hybrid to be commercially available by the end of the decade. Under the licensing agreement, the companies will create seed with eight different herbicide tolerance and insect-protection genes. It will include Dow AgroSciences' Herculex I and Herculex RW; Monsanto's YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2 and YieldGard VT PRO; and Roundup Ready and Liberty Link tolerance genes. The new stacked hybrid will be called SmartStax.