DuPont Says EPA Approves Optimum AcreMax I Seeds

DuPont said May 3 the Environmental Protection Agency has approved its Optimum AcreMax I, a product the company says will save farmers time and make it easier for them to use hybrid seeds. The decision, which was not unexpected, lets the company, also known as E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. , better

U. S. Supreme Court Hears GM Alfalfa Arguments

WASHINGTON, D. C. The U. S. Supreme Court was asked last week to rule on whether the courts have the authority to block genetically modified crops due to environmental concerns. The case involving Monsanto’s genetically modified Roundup Ready alfalfa heard here April 27 marks the first time the controversies over commercializing new technology have reached


45S51 – for May. 6, 2010

It’s a symbol of Pioneer Hi-Bred’s leadership in providing valuable canola seed disease resistance traits. The first and only canola hybrid on the market with built-in sclerotinia resistance. TM When you see the new Pioneer Protector logo on your Pioneer brand canola hybrids, you’ll know your canola is protected. Roundup Ready is a registered trademark

Voluntary Better Than Legislated

Thousand Seed Weight (grams) Estimated Canola Plant Populations Under Various Seeding Conditions To maximize yield, ideal plant populations range from seven to 14 plants/ft2. At any set seeding rate (lb./ac.), the typical average for emergence is around 50 per cent depending on field conditions. The plant population will also be affected by seed size, measured


45S51 – for Apr. 22, 2010

It’s a symbol of Pioneer Hi-Bred’s leadership in providing valuable canola seed disease resistance traits. The first and only canola hybrid on the market with built-in sclerotinia resistance. TM When you see the new Pioneer Protector logo on your Pioneer brand canola hybrids, you’ll know your canola is protected. Roundup Ready is a registered trademark

Are U. S. Regulators Dropping The Ball On Biocrops?

“Science is not being considered in policy setting and deregulation. This research is important. We need to be vigilant.” – ROBERT KREMER Robert Kremer, a U. S. government microbiologist who studies Midwestern farm soil, has spent two decades analyzing the rich dirt that yields billions of bushels of food each year and helps the United


Regulatory Oversight Inadequate

Fourteen years after commercialization of the world’s first biotech crop, the U. S. regulatory agencies charged with overseeing biotech crops – USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration – are under attack on several fronts. The USDA is most directly in the line of fire after a string of

Short Bill Sparks Hot Debate

Bill C-474 is sure stirring up a lot a fuss for being only 42 words long. The bill states in its entirety: “The governor-in-council shall, within 60 days after this act comes into force, amend the Seeds Regulations to require that an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of


Seed Companies Pull Out Of Variety Trials

APrairie-wide program of canola variety trials has been cancelled this year after most of the participating seed companies unexpectedly pulled out. Canola seed developers did not enter enough canola varieties in the 2010 Prairie Canola Variety Trials for it to go ahead, the Canola Council of Canada, which administers the trials, said last week. Dissatisfaction

BASF’s GM Traits Coming To Farmer Via Monsanto

“In the next 10 years you’re going to see water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, more efficient plants that can just grow better, period.” – JONATHAN BRYANT BASF has invested $1.5 billion developing genetically modified (GM) crops and so far hasn’t earned a cent. But it expects that will soon change, a senior company official