Stock #2:

Hitting Pay Dirt

This fertilizer powerhouse just partnered with Myriad Genetics to map the rice genome. And while this may sound like pure science-fiction to you, that’s exactly why I added it to this month’s list. By mapping the rice genome, this company is leading the way to making rice crops more resistant to disease, thus boosting crop yields and rice production throughout the world.

Crop protection is what those in the industry call it. And this company’s research arm currently generates about 75% of the company’s sales worldwide. Continued demand for biofuels will enable this company to target double-digit growth in earnings per share through 2010.