St. Louis, Missouri
July 24, 2008
The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has deregulated MON 89034, a new insect
protection technology from
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON). Commercially, this new above
ground insect control technology will be stacked with our
leading below ground and Roundup Ready technologies to be sold
as YieldGard VT Triple PRO™.
Pending appropriate import approvals, YieldGard VT Triple PRO is
expected to be commercially available to U.S. farmers for
planting in 2009.
The dual Bt protein technology in MON 89034 is also slated for
use in SmartStax, a new corn platform developed by Monsanto and
Dow AgroSciences with targeted availability to farmers in 2010.
SmartStax will provide industry-leading protection from weeds
and insects by bringing together the most comprehensive package
of in-plant protection in one seed.
The YieldGard family of technologies uses a naturally-occurring
bacteria found in the soil known as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
to provide in-plant protection from the yield-robbing insects
that feed on the corn plant. When improved through
biotechnology, the corn plant produces the Bt protein(s) which,
when eaten by insects feeding on the plant, is lethal to these
specific insects.
YieldGard VT Triple PRO represents a step-change in Bt
technology for insect protection in corn. It is the first
technology to produce two different Bt proteins to protect the
corn plant from common above-ground insects that feed on the
plant, such as European corn borer, corn earworm, and fall
armyworm while also providing the existing rootworm protection
and Roundup Ready traits in a single plant.
"This technology will offer corn growers the industry's first
dual mode-of-action insect protection for corn borers,
controlling a broader spectrum of insects above ground," said
Andrew Duff, Corn Traits Marketing Manager, Monsanto Company.
"The dual-effective dose offered by YieldGard VT Triple PRO has
been approved for a refuge reduction in cotton-growing regions
of the South and has the opportunity to further reduce refuge
acres in the Corn Belt as well. This provides growers with an
opportunity for increased yield and profitability on their
farms."
Currently corn growers are required to plant a "structured
refuge" or plots of corn that do not use Bt technology near corn
acres using in-plant protection. The current required percentage
of refuge acres varies based on specific geography, but in
general is set at 50 percent in the southern United States and
20 percent in the Corn Belt. Beginning in 2009, southern growers
can take advantage of this reduced refuge opportunity by
planting YieldGard VT Triple PRO.
Research conducted by Monsanto and reviewed by scientists at key
academic institutions indicates the use of dual protein
technologies, like the dual proteins for corn borer in YieldGard
VT Triple PRO, allows the percentage of structured refuge in
southern cotton-growing states to be reduced without negatively
impacting long term effectiveness of the technology. EPA
previously granted a reduced refuge requirement for YieldGard VT
Triple PRO in southern states dropping the corn borer refuge
requirements from 50 to 20 percent.
With previous U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA
clearances, the USDA deregulation allows the 2009 launch of
YieldGard VT Triple PRO in the U.S. Key international import
approvals for MON 89034 have been achieved in Japan, Mexico,
Canada and Colombia with other import regulatory clearances in
process.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
YieldGard VT Triple PRO is a
trademark of Monsanto Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
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