London (28.12.11)
– It is expected that APHIS, USFDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service is about to lift restrictions of a variety of maize resistant to drought
which has been produced by Monsanto and BASF (1).
Drought-tolerant corn is projected to be introduced as part of an overall
system that would offer farmers improved genetics, agronomic practices and
the drought trait. Monsanto plans to conduct on-farm trials in 2012 to give
farmers experience with the product, while generating data to help inform
the company’s commercial decisions (2).
Monsanto plans to have Genuity® VT Triple PRO® and Genuity® VT
Double PRO® technology serve as the agronomic trait platform to be used
with the drought-tolerant trait. These technologies offer growers excellent
insect protection and tolerance to Roundup® agricultural herbicides.
The collaboration between Monsanto and BASF is aimed at developing higher-yielding
crops and crops more tolerant to adverse environmental conditions, including
drought.
"Through this collaboration, BASF is excited to be working on meaningful
solutions for growers dealing with drought-stressed environments," said
Jonathan Bryant, vice president of business management at BASF Plant Science.
"We look forward to future advances from our yield and stress-tolerant
pipeline with Monsanto."The USDA deregulation concludes the U.S. federal
regulatory process. Import approvals in key corn import markets with functioning
regulatory systems are in progress.
APHIS published a plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) and draft environmental
assessment (EA) on the MON 87460 corn in the Federal Register last May 11.
The publication attracted more than 250 public comments, many of them arguments
constantly reiterated by opponents of recombinant DNA technology. Based on
the Monsanto data, the risk assessment and the public comments, APHIS said
it “has determined that the product is unlikely to present a plant pest
risk and is therefore determining non-regulated status”.
Sources:
1. USDA clears first drought-tolerant biotech corn. Agri Pulse (21.12.11)
(http://www.agri-pulse.com/USDA_drought_tolerant_biotech_corn_12212011.asp)
2. News releases: USDA deregulates Monsanto’s first-generation drought-tolerant
trait for corn. Monsanto (21.12.11) (http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/usda-deregulates-drought-tolerant-corn)
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