USDA approves Dow corn, and soy strains that resist 2,4-D
The Agriculture Department approved for sale two soybean varieties and one corn variety genetically engineered by Dow to tolerate the weedkiller 2,4-D, a widely used herbicide. The varieties would be an alternative to Monsanto’s GE crops that resist glyphosate. There are reports of “superweeds” that survive spraying with glyphosate. The Center for Food Safety, a foe of GE crops, said it “will pursue all available legal options to stop commercialization of these dangerous crops.” Opponents say 2,4-D poses health and environmental risks, including its own version of herbicide-resistant weeds.
The Associated Press said the EPA has yet to rule on use of Enlist, a new version of 2,4-D and intended to work with the new Dow seeds. “The USDA has said that if both the seeds and herbicide are approved, the use of 2,4-D could increase by an estimated 200 percent to 600 percent by the year 2020,” said the AP.
Dow said USDA approval of the specialty corn and soybeans could put the seeds on the market in time for the 2015 planting season in the United States, said Reuters.
To read USDA’s “record of decision” on the crops, click here.