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.
Monsanto settles lawsuits over GE wheat in Oregon
Monsanto agreed to settle lawsuits filed by growers of soft white wheat over the May 29, 2013, discovery of unapproved biotech wheat in an Oregon field, says broadcaster KCRU. The wheat was a strain genetically engineered by Monsanto to tolerate the weedkiller glyphosate but abandoned after field trials years ago. The growers say they lost money because Japan and South Korea temporarily curtailed purchases of U.S.-grown soft white wheat. Terms of the settlement, reached last week, were not disclosed.