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Indianapolis,
Indiana and São Paulo, Brazil
March 19, 2009
Technology incorporates
naturally occurring soil micro-organism proteins to protect
cotton plantations
Dow AgroSciences LLC, a
wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, today
announced that it has received regulatory approval from the
Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio),
for its WideStrike™ Insect Protection technology in cotton in
Brazil. WideStrike, currently marketed in the United States,
provides season-long, whole-plant protection from insect feeding
cotton pests.
The WideStrike technology uses two insect resistant traits that
effectively control important cotton pests especially the
Spodoptera frugiperda, Heliothis virescens, Pectinophora
gossypiella, and the Alabama argillacea pests. Studies conducted
by Dow AgroSciences and analyzed by CTNBio show that WideStrike
does not create unreasonable risk to humans or the environment.
"The cultivation of cotton has gained strength in recent years
in Brazil for its fiber," said Rolando Alegria, Seeds and
Biotechnology director, Dow AgroSciences in Brazil.
"Additionally, WideStrike contributes to a more sustainable
agriculture because it controls the most harmful pests to cotton
plantations. Dow AgroSciences will now be able to provide access
to its company's technologies - which are among the most
advanced of the world - to a larger number of growers."
Before becoming available in the Brazilian market, this
technology has gone through rigorous testing in several regions
of the country, and also has been tested in laboratories.
Cottonseed containing this technology has been planted since
2004 in the United States where the oil and meal produced from
WideStrike cottonseed has been approved for use in human food
and animal feed. These products have also been approved for use
in human food and animal feed in Canada and in Japan, as well as
for in human food in Mexico, South Korea, and Australia.
In December 2008, CTNBio granted its approval to Dow
AgroSciences for HERCULEX® I Insect Protection technology that
provides protection against the main corn pest in Brazil, the
sugar cane borer and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The
commercialization of the HERCULEX I hybrid corn seeds, which
also produces a Bt protein to protect the plant, has already
been approved by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.
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.
™®HERCULEX and WideStrike are registered trademarks of Dow
AgroSciences LLC |
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