Press Releases

Siegers Seed Company announced that ATTRIBUTE, an insect protected sweet corn from Novartis Seeds and VIP variety, will be available but limited to large-scale trial quantities until fall 1998. Siegers Seed Company will have commercial inventories of ATTRIBUTE available for planting after fall 1998.

ATTRIBUTE sweet corn has been genetically altered to produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a naturally occurring soil bacteria that commercial growers spray on fields to kill specific insects. ATTRIBUTE is the first sweet corn to produce Bt, which protects against European corn borer and corn earworm, two potentially devastating sweet corn pests. In addition to ATTRIBUTE's genetics having the Bt strain, it is also resistant to rust (Rp11) and tolerant to Northern Corn Leaf Blight and Stewart's Wilt. ATTRIBUTE is a mid-season yellow supersweet variety that matures in about 78 days.

All Siegers Seed Company's seed consultants are excited about the new Bt sweet corn and the benefits ATTRIBUTE will bring to commercial sweet corn growers. Very impressive trials have already been demonstrated in the Southeastern United States. Paul Sawyer, Siegers Seed Company's Regional Sales manager for Florida, says: "You can see it (ATTRIBUTE) right now. In all of the ATTRIBUTE trials I have evaluated, I have not seen worm damage of economic importance, even when the surrounding field variety had up to 98% corn earworm infestation."

Additional information regarding ATTRIBUTE or other vegetable seed varieties may be obtained by contacting your local Siegers Seed Company consultant or Siegers Seed Company's office at 800-962-4999.

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