June 18, 2013
Monsanto''s drought tolerance trait receives final approval from China
China, a major importer of US corn, grain, dried distillers grain solubles (DDGS), has officially granted full regulatory import authorisation for Monsanto''sMON 87460 trait in Genuity DroughtGard Hybrids as part of a broader series of approvals.
This represents a significant step forward for technologyapprovals in China. With the approval, Monsanto will remove the grain stewardship requirements and will be able to export grain to foreign markets.
In 2012, more than 250 farmers in the Western Great Plains planted DroughtGard Hybrids on their farms as a part of Monsanto''s Ground Breakers？？ programme. In 2013, the product was introduced in the Western Great Plains under stewardship requirements. Farmers who purchased DroughtGard Hybrids for planting in 2013 signed a grain stewardship agreement committing to use the grain as on-farm feed or to sell the grain for domestic use due to pending import approvals in key export markets.
"The import approval of this trait is great news for US farmers," said Lisa Safarian, US Row Crops Lead for Monsanto. "With full import approvals in key export markets, farmers can market their grain more broadly this year and plant with confidence in 2014. This approval also provides expanded access to another tool that can help farmers more sustainably manage their risk."
The Genuity DroughtGard Hybrids system combines germplasm selected for its drought-tolerance characteristics, the drought-tolerance biotechnology trait and agronomic recommendations. The system is designed to help the corn plant use less water when drought stress occurs. This improved hydro-efficiency creates the opportunity to conserve soil moisture and can help reduce yield loss from drought conditions, while also maintaining top-end yield potential under normal, well watered conditions. Monsanto''s DEKALB？？ DroughtGard Hybrids have consistently shown about a five bushel/acre yield advantage over competitors'' products.
With a changing climate that leads to more challenging growing conditions, farmers are looking for more options to protect their yield and manage their risk. Drought tolerance is one component of Monsanto''s Yield and Stress efforts to protect or improve yield and achieve more consistency of returns. Yield and nitrogen utilisation traits are also in Monsanto''s R&D pipeline. The drought tolerance trait in Genuity DroughtGard Hybrid''s represents the first commercial offering of the company''s joint R&D collaboration with BASF on yield and stress technologies.