Farmers planting Bt corn from Mycogen Seeds this spring can rest assured their genetically modified corn crop will be marketable in the European Union.

Dow AgroSciences Government and Regulatory Affairs Leader, Joe Panetta, says Mycogen’s Event 176-type Bt corn hybrids, marketed under the NatureGard® brand name, have been approved in European markets since December 1996.

According to a recent seed industry letter delivered to the National Grain and Feed Association, several varieties of Bt corn, as well as Roundup Ready corn, are not yet approved for import into the EU. Subsequently, last week, A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co. and Archer Daniels Midlands Co. (ADM), Decatur, Ill., both announced they will not accept genetically modified corn not yet approved in the EU.

The letter clearly points out, however, that Mycogen’s Bt 176 event is not subject to any marketing restrictions.

Event 176 hybrids contain the Cry1A(b) protein, expressed in green tissue and pollen, and provide excellent control of first generation corn borer, and good control of the second generation.

"Event 176 was the first event to be registered in the EU," Panneta says. "Therefore, every Bt corn product Mycogen Seeds offers is acceptable."

According to Tim Glenn, corn product manager for Mycogen Seeds, "All Mycogen products are approved for use in Europe and we have sufficient quantities for farmers’ needs."

Glenn encourages farmers to work with their seed company sales representative to determine the viability of their products in certain markets.

"Growers can eliminate concerns over the marketability of their corn crop by asking certain questions up front," he says. "They need to understand that not every seed technology is accepted into all end-use channels. And, more importantly, they must find out if the seed they are purchasing is acceptable in all markets."

Because many farmers are preparing for the planting season, asking questions about end-use viability becomes even more critical, Glenn says.

"Even at this late stage in the game, growers may be able to trade their seed for varieties accepted in the EU," he says.

Mycogen Seeds, based in Eagan, Minnesota, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. Mycogen markets grain corn, silage corn and nutritionally enhanced corn seed, as well as sunflower, canola, soybean, alfalfa and sorghum seed through a distribution system of sales representatives, distributors and retail outlets in the Cornbelt, the eastern United States and in major dairy areas throughout the country. Mycogen Seeds is an acknowledged leader in bringing to market technology-based products to control agricultural pests and improve food and fiber production.

Company news release
N1854