The earnings season beginning today (Tuesday) is shaping up to be an important one, as it could have a significant impact on a struggling stock market rally.

Monsanto Corp. (NYSE: MON), the world’s largest seed maker, says it’s on track to more than double its 2007 profit by the year 2012 and is expecting a “technology explosion” to provide even stronger products going forward. But while Monsanto continues to build on its reputation as a cutting edge agricultural business, it is also under siege by competitors and advocacy groups who claim the company is a monopoly.

Fed Holds Funds Rate; Buffett: U.S. May Need More Stimulus; Jobs’ Liver Transplant Confirmed; Fewer Americans Traveling on 4th Despite Lower Gas Prices; Monsanto Profits Drop 14%; SEC Proposes New Rules for Money Market Funds; Recession Yields Fewer Millionaires

No real surprise here, Existing Homes Sales are expected to increase. It should be a combination of two factors, too-good-to-pass-up deals on foreclosed homes, and families moving to new school districts over the summer to avoid switching schools mid-year.

Emerging Market Funds Lose $48 Billion; Bank of America Sells China Bank Shares; Family Dollar Beats and Raises Forecasts; New CEO, Cost-Cutting at Orbitz; Russian Winter; Monsanto Reaps Profit; No Pain Means Gain for Sun; Oil Slides 12%

The economic calendar wastes no time getting off to a busy start in the first full week of 2009.  The Construction Spending report for November this morning leads off the week, and carrying over from last year, it should show a continued slowdown. Until the housing market stabilizes, and the credit markets unfreeze, money simply won’t be spent on new construction. Since neither of those options looks likely to occur anytime soon, 2009 could be another long year for the construction industry.

Symantec Upgrade; Monsanto Sees Credit for Crops; AIG’s Costly Retreat; Wells and Citi Extend Ceasefire; Pending Home Sales Climb; Crude Hits Lowest Level in 2008

The economic calendar this week isn’t particularly exciting, but coming off the pain inflicted on the markets last week, that could be a good thing. The market will have its hands full with earnings season starting up again, so a full week of reports could have been dangerous.

Monsanto Co. (MON), the world’s largest seed producer, is selling off its rights to a synthetic milk-producing hormone in order to focus its attention more closely on its core business of developing genetically modified seeds and pesticides. U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) will pay Monsanto $300 million for Posilac, the brand name for recombinant bovine somatotropin or rBST. The deal includes the global sale rights and a Georgia-based manufacturing plant.

Midwest floods might not push up corn prices as much as was feared, according to a report released by the US Department of Agriculture on the damage to crops caused by recent Midwest flooding.

According to the report, US farmers will harvest almost 9% less corn this year than last. Offsetting the flood damage is the more than 1 million additional acres of corn planted in March.

Corn futures, which were about $7.60 last week, dropped to about $7.25 yesterday on the Chicago Board of Trade.