Jack Kaskey, Bloomberg via The Meridian Institute's Food Security and Ag-Biotech News

Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley has said that by 2015 new drought tolerant genetically modified (GM) corn from Monsanto "may" increase corn yields in dry parts of the U.S. by nearly 40 percent.

Fraley gave an online presentation October 3, during which he said that new GM corn seeds with drought tolerance and "other improvements" will be released by Monsanto after 2010.

These seeds, he said, will increase yields by 8 to 10 percent on Western U.S. farms with no irrigation. By 2015, he said Monsanto technology may increase corn yields in dry regions to 121 bushels per acre, from 88 now.

Fraley reported that Monsanto is also developing genetically modified (GM) corn that will provide more nutritious animal feed, following removal of the parts of corn used in making ethanol. Cargill Inc. is working with Monsanto, opening a pilot plant in February for converting used grain from ethanol factories into high-lysine, high-protein pig and poultry feed, Fraley said.

He noted that ethanol production is expanding in the U.S., with the percentage of U.S. corn used for ethanol expected to grow from 18 percent today to 41 percent in 2015. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/F566ADF6F6B5F54A862571FD000A6AD3?OpenDocument