Indianapolis, Indiana and St.
Louis, Missouri
July 20, 2009
Source:
Dow AgroSciences LLC
U.S. and Canadian farmers are one
step closer to realizing the greater whole farm corn yield
advantages of a new corn seed trait combination that will
provide the most comprehensive insect and weed control and allow
farmers to significantly reduce their refuge. These benefits
will be realized through SmartStax™, which is the outcome of a
cross licensing agreement and research and development
collaboration signed in 2007 between
Monsanto Company (NYSE:
MON) and Dow AgroSciences LLC,
a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:
DOW).
SmartStax, the agriculture industry’s most advanced, all-in-one
corn trait platform, received registration from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulatory
authorization from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
and remains on track for a 2010 commercial launch. SmartStax
combines each company’s industry-leading corn traits to provide
farmers the absolute broadest spectrum of above- and
below-ground protection available against insects and weeds
versus any product in the market today.
Using multiple modes of action for insect control is the
state-of-the-art proven means to reduce structured refuge and
maintain long-term durability of corn trait technologies.
SmartStax uniquely features a combination of insect control
traits that significantly reduces the risk of resistance for
both above- and below-ground pests. As a result, the decisions
by the EPA and CFIA will allow reduction of the typical
structured farm refuge from 20 percent to 5 percent for
SmartStax in the U.S. Corn Belt and Canada, and from 50 percent
to 20 percent in the U.S. Cotton Belt.
As part of today’s announcement, the companies noted that the
new corn seed technology is expected to be offered to farmers on
3 million- to 4-million-plus acres in its first year of
availability. The product’s launch would represent the largest
introduction of a corn biotech seed product in the history of
agriculture.
“Farmers are the real winners with SmartStax,” said Robb Fraley,
Monsanto Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President.
“The 5 percent refuge for SmartStax will give farmers a
tremendous advantage to increase whole farm corn yield 5 to 10
percent. This is a key early step in our commitment to helping
farmers sustainably double yields by 2030 to meet the increasing
demands for grain for food, feed and fuel. This reduced refuge
will be easier for farmers and will further reduce insecticide
use while reducing grower risks and enhancing the long-term
durability of the technology.”
“The SmartStax technology developed by Dow AgroSciences and
Monsanto will help U.S. and Canadian corn farmers take corn
production to the next level,” said Jerome Peribere, Dow
AgroSciences President and CEO. “By combining the industry’s
leading seed traits, SmartStax protects against the broadest
spectrum of insect pests with the most consistent level of
control available. The multiple modes of action of SmartStax
reduce the likelihood of insect resistance, making possible a
significant reduction in the refuge requirement. Corn farmers
who plant hybrids with SmartStax will benefit from increased
productivity due to improved pest protection and a reduced
refuge.”
“One of the great benefits of biotechnology is that it has
enabled my son and me to reduce the use of insecticides on our
farm by 80 percent,” said Leon Corzine, a farmer who operates a
fifth-generation corn and soybean farm with his son in
Assumption, Ill. “SmartStax corn will allow us to reduce our
insecticide use even further to 5 percent of our corn acres,
while improving insect control and our environmental footprint
will be lowered. Additionally, the lower refuge in the Corn Belt
for SmartStax means I can better protect 15 percent more of my
acres from potential yield loss.”
About SmartStax
SmartStax combines the industry’s leading above- and
below-ground insect protection and herbicide-tolerant traits for
the most yield protection available to farmers:
- Above-ground insect
control for protection against corn earworm, European corn
borer, southwestern corn borer, sugar cane borer, fall
armyworm, western bean cutworm and black cutworm: with Dow
AgroSciences’ HERCULEX® I Insect Protection technology and
Monsanto’s VT PRO™, a second-generation, two-gene
lepidopteran control product contained in Genuity™ Triple
PRO™.
- Below-ground insect
control for protection against Western, Northern and Mexican
corn rootworms: integrating Monsanto’s YieldGard VT
Rootworm/RR2 technology with Dow AgroSciences’ HERCULEX® RW
Insect Protection technology.
- Broad spectrum weed and
grass control: bringing together Monsanto’s Roundup Ready® 2
technology with Bayer CropScience’s Liberty Link® herbicide
tolerance.
Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences will
cross-license, under royalty-bearing agreements, their
respective above- and below-ground insect protection systems, as
well as the two leading weed control systems. Monsanto and Dow
AgroSciences will offer other seed companies access to SmartStax
through licenses whereby Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences will
directly license their respective component technologies.
Monsanto will manage the licensing process for itself and as an
agent for Dow AgroSciences.
Consistent with both companies’ commitment to follow the
Biotechnology Industry Organization's (BIO) Product Launch
Stewardship Policy, Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto are also
working with the regulatory agencies in key countries to have
import approvals for SmartStax in place prior to the 2010 U.S.
season. These regulatory submissions are on track to support
commercialization for the 2010 U.S. crop season.
Dow AgroSciences Commercial Plans
Two years of pre-registration field trials conducted by Dow
AgroSciences shows that SmartStax provides a greater level of
insect protection than corn traits currently on the market. In
corn rootworm trials during 2007 and 2008, SmartStax more
consistently protected plant roots from western corn rootworm
than first generation insect traits. Results of trials conducted
by Dow AgroSciences against the most prevalent above-ground
pests show that SmartStax prevents crop damage more effectively
than either HERCULEX® Insect Protection or YieldGard VT PRO
alone.
“SmartStax has been highly anticipated by the industry, and
extensive Dow AgroSciences research gives us confidence that the
trait combination will provide more value than current traits on
the market through more consistent insect control and reduced
refuge,” said Brent Stauffacher, SmartStax Product Manager for
Dow AgroSciences. “Dow AgroSciences will offer SmartStax in
elite hybrids with the latest genetics starting next season
giving corn growers the tools they need to improve crop yields.”
SmartStax will be sold by Dow AgroSciences through its seed
brands which include Mycogen Seeds, Dairyland, Renze, Brodbeck,
and Triumph.
Dow AgroSciences will use SmartStax as the platform to launch
future trait technologies including Dow AgroSciences Herbicide
Tolerant Trait technology and other agronomic enhancements. The
technology is a new family of traits being developed by Dow
AgroSciences that will provide tolerance to 2,4-D and other
classes of herbicides to provide growers with improved and
enhanced weed control versus current herbicide programs.
Introduction to the market is anticipated for 2012.
“Game changing trait technologies, such as SmartStax and Dow
AgroSciences Herbicide Tolerant technology, coupled with a
significant investment in plant breeding will deliver to corn
growers the best trait technology in the latest genetics,” said
Brian Barker, Global Business Leader for Corn Seeds and Traits
for Dow AgroSciences.
Additional information
- Monsanto and Dow
AgroSciences will host a joint investor conference call
at 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). To register for this
conference call, please visit the company Web sites at
www.monsanto.com
and www.dow.com.
- Both companies have
posted additional information related to today’s
announcement on their respective company Web sites.
Interested parties can access these on Monsanto’s Web
site at
www.monsanto.com/genuitysmartstax and on The Dow
Chemical Company Web site at
www.dow.com.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a
top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science
and technology with the "Human Element” to constantly improve
what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides
innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation
management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to
serve the world's growing population. Global sales for Dow
AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical
Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at
www.dowagro.com.
About Monsanto
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains
focused on enabling both small-holder and large- scale farmers
to produce more from their land while conserving more of our
world's natural resources such as water and energy. To learn
more about our business and our commitments, please visit:
http://www.monsanto.com.
SmartStax™ multi-event technology developed by Dow AgroSciences
and Monsanto.
SmartStax, the SmartStax Logo, Genuity VT PRO, YieldGard VT
Rootworm/RR2, VT PRO, Acceleron and Roundup Ready are trademarks
of Monsanto Technology LLC. DEKALB is a registered trademark of
Dekalb Genetics Corp.
HERCULEX® Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and
Pioneer Hi-Bred.
®HERCULEX is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
®Liberty Link is a registered trademark of Bayer CropScience.
Other news
from Monsanto Company |
|
