New Technology for GMO Corn Approved will Reduce Insect Refuge Requirements

Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences announced on July 20 that they have received registration approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are on track to commercialize SmartStax corn hybrids in 2010. This approval, or authorization, was also received in Canada. SmartStax hybrids contain eight transgenic traits - three for below ground insect control; three for above ground insect control, and two providing different types of herbicide resistance. The hybrids will express the following insecticidal proteins: Cry1F and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 for European corn borer, black cutworm, fall armyworm, and western bean cutworm control, and Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1 for corn rootworm control. SmartStax hybrids will also provide herbicide tolerance to glyphosate and glufosinate with the addition of the Roundup Ready 2 and Liberty Link genes. The approval will allow growers in the US Corn Belt who use the hybrids to reduce refuge size from 20% to 5%. The companies indicated they intend to introduce SmartStax hybrids across 3 to 4 million acres in 2010. Whether any will be available in Ohio is unknown at this time. Reprinted from the Crop Observation and Recommendation Network Newsletter