Nashville, Tennessee
February 29, 2008
With the commercialization of
Monsanto’s
second-generation soybean technology in 2009,
Roundup Ready 2 Yield™,
American farmers will enjoy all the benefits of the original
Roundup Ready® soybean system plus top-end yield potential.
Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans will be introduced on 1-2 million
acres for the 2009 season. Initially, this breakthrough
technology will be available primarily in maturity groups 2 and
3, where more than 50 percent of U.S. soybeans are grown,
according to David Nothmann, Monsanto’s Soybean Agronomic Trait
Lead.
This includes all of Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Pennsylvania; most
of Illinois and Indiana; portions of northern Missouri, Kansas
and Maryland; and portions of southern Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Michigan and South Dakota.
“We are very excited about bringing the next generation of
Roundup Ready soybean technology to market,” said Nothmann. “It
will give farmers the opportunity to continue to enjoy all the
flexibility, dependability and crop safety that they have today
in Roundup Ready soybeans, but with enhanced yield opportunity
that has consistently been shown in four years of field trials
to be 7 to 11 percent higher than the first-generation
technology.”
He noted that Roundup Ready 2 Yield varieties for 2009 will
feature a strong class of genetics from Asgrow® soybeans, as
well as top-performing varieties from other leading soybean
brands. Growers, he said, are encouraged to visit with their
local dealers and seed companies regarding the Roundup Ready 2
Yield soybean products best suited for their farms.
Nothmann described the 2009 introduction as a controlled
commercial release of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans, so that as
many farmer “Innovators” as possible in select geographies will
be able to experience the benefits of the product on their farms
prior to its full launch on 5-6 million acres in 2010.
Dion McBay, Monsanto Soybean Traits Marketing Manager, noted
that the original Roundup Ready soybean technology, introduced
in 1996, has had a tremendous impact on U.S. soybean production,
providing growers with greater efficiency and enhanced weed
control. “When we talked to farmers and asked how they would
like to improve this technology, their answer was ‘more yield’,”
McBay said. “We have invested aggressively to bring forward this
next-generation technology that delivers all the attributes of
the Roundup Ready System they rely on, plus higher yield
potential that will shift the curve of U.S. soybean production
to a new level.”
He added that farmers will be able to easily incorporate Roundup
Ready 2 Yield soybeans into their farming operations. “There’s
no change to the Roundup Ready system,” he emphasized. “Farmers
will still have the opportunity to use Roundup® branded
herbicides right over the top of the crop to experience
exceptional, unsurpassed weed control, which has resulted in
greater efficiency and effectiveness for the American soybean
farmer.”
Advanced Gene-Mapping Technology
Nothmann said Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology is based on an
advanced gene-mapping and insertion process. “Through gene
mapping, Monsanto has identified specific DNA regions in
soybeans that have a positive impact on yield,” he explained.
“Using these new insertion and selection technologies, the
Roundup Ready 2 Yield gene is situated in one of these DNA
regions.”
He predicted that the new technology will be in high demand this
fall. “In areas that typically average 50 bushels per acres
yield, that seven to eleven percent yield advantage translates
to 3.5 to 5.5 more bushels per acre,” he noted. “This not only
means a huge economic benefit for growers, but will also help
the American soybean industry meet the growing oil demand from
the food and biodiesel industries.”
Commitment to Grower Success
The introduction of Roundup Ready 2 Yield also reflects
Monsanto’s commitment to grower success as a company focused
solely on agriculture. “It really all boils down to creating
greater success and profitability for their farming operations,”
McBay said. “We recognize that we as a company can only be
successful when we create success for our farmer customers.”
Monsanto recently announced that it had received full regulatory
approval for Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans in Japan, the
Philippines and Taiwan. The new technology will serve as the
primary platform for Monsanto’s introduction of future soybean
trait technologies, including higher yield, expanded herbicide
tolerance and enhanced oil products.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. For more
information, please visit
www.monsanto.com.
Roundup Ready 2 Yield is not available for commercial sale or
use. Monsanto Company does not sell and does not authorize the
commercial sale or use of this product. Roundup Ready 2 Yield
soybean seed and any product of a Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean
seed or crop can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold
in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been
granted. It is a violation of national and international law to
move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into
nations where import is not permitted.
Always read and follow pesticide label directions. Roundup
Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate,
the active ingredient in Roundup® agricultural herbicides.
Roundup agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not
glyphosate tolerant. Roundup®, Roundup Ready®, Asgrow®, and
Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ are trademarks of Monsanto Technology
LLC. |
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