That said, I'm pretty sure the "RoundUp Ready 2 Yield trait" has nothing to do with the application of RoundUp. It is the same gene that gave resistance to RoundUp but when inserted into a different location it caused the soybeans to add another bean per pod, increasing yield. I don't believe any RoundUp application is required although it usually is since it is normally paired with the original trait.
And you'd be wrong from what I can tell; RoundUp Ready 2 Yield is a trait that provides glyphosate-resistance without (or maybe with less of) the yield cost of 1st Gen RoundUp Ready.
> I don't believe any RoundUp application is required
RoundUp application isn't required for growing any RoundUp Ready crop, but you wouldn't choose a herbicide-resistant crop (especially with a yield cost) if you weren't going to use a herbicide it provides resistance to.
> it is normally paired with the original trait.
No, it is itself a new glyphosate-resistance trait; it's usually paired with an additional herbicide-resistance trait in RoundUp Ready 2 Xtend seeds.
No, it hasn't . The 1st Gen RoundUp Ready soybean trait patent expired in 2015 (two is not "many"), and most commercial volume has moved to product using the still-under-patent RoundUp Ready 2 Yield trait (such as RoundUp Ready 2 Xtend seeds, which also have another herbicide resistance trait.)