Dow AgroSciences LLC has received full registration for WideStrike™ Insect Protection from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), clearing the new cotton trait for market introduction in 2005.

"This is a very exciting day for Dow AgroSciences and for the cotton industry," said Pete Siggelko, vice president of plant genetics and biotechnology for Dow AgroSciences. "WideStrike allows us to build on the successes we've achieved with Herculex™ I Insect Protection for corn and bring a needed alternative for in-plant insect protection to the cotton market.

"A number of people within the university system and cotton industry organizations along with Dow AgroSciences have played key roles in the development, testing and registration of WideStrike," added Siggelko. "It has truly been a team effort on all fronts."

WideStrike is a new, stacked insect-protection trait researched and developed for use in the cotton market. The trait expresses two Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins - Cry1F and Cry1Ac - in cotton plants, providing season-long protection from a broad spectrum of destructive cotton pests.

WideStrike received deregulated status for cotton from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in July and completed Pre-market Biotechnology Notice consultations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August.

Results from more than three years of field trials - including work conducted under EPA Experimental Use Permits (EUP) in 2003 and 2004 - show that WideStrike provides a high level of activity against worm pests such as cotton bollworm, tobacco budworm, beet armyworm, fall armyworm, soybean loopers, cabbage loopers, and pink bollworm. Trial results were consistent throughout the Southeast, Mid-South and Texas.

In 2005, WideStrike™ Insect Protection will be available in three new elite cotton varieties from PhytoGen Seed Company. Current plans call for WideStrike to be available alone and also stacked with the Roundup Ready® technology in PhytoGen™ varieties adapted for use throughout the Cotton Belt. Field trials have shown that these new varieties demonstrate high yield potential and excellent fiber packages.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a global leader in providing pest management, agricultural seed and biotechnology products that improve the quality and quantity of the earth's food supply and contribute to the health and quality of life of the world's growing population. Dow AgroSciences has approximately 5700 people in more than 50 countries dedicated to its business, and has worldwide sales of US $3 billion. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.

™WideStrike and Herculex I are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC
™PhytoGen is a trademark of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC
®Roundup Ready is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company

Herculex I Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred.

EPA has conditionally approved a new Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plant-incorporated protectant in cotton (Wide strike®) for use until Sept. 30, 2009. Wide strike® cotton is expected to have environmental and public health benefits by reducing the use of conventional chemical insecticides that may be applied to cotton several times per season. Wide strike® also has the potential to extend the useful life of existing plant-incorporated protectants and provide additional benefits for insect resistance management. EPA granted this conditional registration and approved a tolerance exemption after reviewing the results of experimental trials, analyzing numerous scientific studies looking at both human health and environmental impacts, consulting with the Scientific Advisory Panel and reviewing public comments. Following this thorough registration review process, EPA determined that granting a conditional registration for this use would not pose unreasonable risks to human health, nontarget organisms, or the environment. WideStrike® cotton contains a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac protein and a Cry1F protein, both previously approved by the Agency. These proteins are intended to control tobacco budworm, pink bollworm, cotton bollworm, cabbage looper, saltmarsh caterpillar, cotton leaf perforator, soybean looper, beet armyworm, fall armyworm, yellowstriped armyworm and European corn borer. WideStrike® cotton is a Dow AgroSciences product.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/