Monsanto Canada announced today that it has received full regulatory clearance for YieldGard Plus corn technology in the United States, following recent similar clearance in Canada. Regulatory clearance in North America is a major step towards providing growers with the first biotech corn technology designed to control both the corn rootworm and corn borer pests.

YieldGard Plus provides corn growers with in-seed protection, allowing the corn plant to protect itself against the damaging Western and Northern corn rootworm larvae and the European corn borer. YieldGard Plus joins Monsanto s YieldGard family of insect-protected products for corn, which also includes YieldGard Corn Borer and YieldGard Rootworm corn. For the 2004 planting season, DEKALB expects to have four YieldGard Plus hybrids available ranging from 2800 to 3300 heat units.

YieldGard Plus will enable growers to maximize their profit potential in corn with twenty-four-hour, seven-days-a-week (24/7) in-plant protection from corn rootworm and corn borer.

In-plant protection means more effective and consistent control compared to insecticides. This enables the corn plant to develop a maximum root system and a healthier stalk, which better utilize nutrients and moisture to produce higher yields, says Rob Hannam, product manager for Monsanto Canada.

Stewardship requirements

As with other YieldGard insect-protected corn technologies already on the market, growers who plant hybrids with YieldGard Plus technology are required to implement an Insect Resistance Management (IRM) strategy as well as ensure that harvested grain is channelled to approved markets.


IRM requirements are similar to other YieldGard corn products. Growers must maintain a refuge of at least 20 per cent of their corn as a structured refuge in hybrids that are of similar maturity and do not contain any Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) technology for protection against either European corn borer or corn rootworm; and the refuge must be planted within the same field or adjacent to the YieldGard Plus field and under similar agronomic conditions. Growers may use a corn rootworm insecticide treatment in their refuge that is not microbial based.

Channelling is the process of marketing approved grain to appropriate and approved markets. When marketing grain from YieldGard Plus corn, growers must ensure that harvested grain is channelled to approved markets, which currently include food and feed markets in Canada, and the U.S. Growers should communicate with their grain handler of choice to ensure that a plan is in place to market their grain.

For complete details on grain channelling and IRM, growers can contact their DEKALB dealer or call Monsanto s CustomCare line at 1-800-667-4944.

Product availability

Pending regulatory import approval in Japan, DEKALB expects to have four hybrids available for 2004 planting, including DKC39-42 (2800 CHU); DKC42-17 (2850 CHU); DKC46-25 (2950 CHU); and DKC60-10 (3300 CHU). DEKALB dealers will have complete details on pricing and programs for these hybrids. Growers can place orders for these hybrids, but seed will not be shipped to growers for planting until the necessary import approvals in Japan are received.

Monsanto is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

YieldGard is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC. Monsanto Canada Inc. Licensee.
DEKALB is a trademark of DEKALB Genetics corporation.