The U.S. government approved commercialization of a genetically engineered corn variety from Monsanto that tolerates the weedkillers dicamba and gulfosinate. The combination of herbicides is billed as a way to control weeds that have become resistant to widely used chemicals. Besides clearing the Monsanto variety for planting, USDA approved a Syngenta GMO corn variety designed for insect resistance and resistance to glufosinate-ammonium.
Monsanto, which scored success with GMO crops resistant to glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world, is diversifying its product line by engineering crops that tolerate dicamba, said Reuters. Last June, Monsanto said it would spend $1 billion to expand a Louisiana plant to manufacture dicamba.
“Monsanto’s solution (to weed resistance)) combines glyphosate with dicamba for what it is calling the “Roundup Ready Xtend” crop system, aimed at soybean and cotton farmers. Rival Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical Co, has developed crops that tolerate its new herbicide, which combines 2,4-D with glyphosate,” said Reuters.