Two major seed companies say they don’t plan to use Dow’s genetics that allow soybeans to tolerate the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate, says Bloomberg. As a result, Dow’s share of the U.S. market for soybean seeds could shrink to 25 percent at most, says an analyst cited in the Bloomberg story. Dow plans to begin sale of the genetically engineered seeds, under the brand name Enlist, next year. Pioneer and Syngenta reportedly don’t plan to seek the licenses, and Monsanto has its own GE seed, dubbed Xtend, that tolerates two herbicides, dicamba and glyphosate.
Glyphosate is widely used, and there are reports of “super weeds” that are resistant to the herbicide. The new GE seeds with tolerance for multiple herbicides are “a sought-after feature as farmers battle weed resistance,” says Bloomberg. Dow said two seed companies in Iowa have licensed the Enlist soybean genetics and it will sell Enlist seed in South America.