April 5, 2006

Roundup Ready corn gains wide acceptance in the US

40 percent of all US corn planted this season would be Monsanto's Roundup Ready Corn 2, the company said.

The corn would be planted in 32 million acres, up from a record 24 million acres in 2005.

John Jansen, Monsanto marketing manager for Roundup Ready Corn 2, said the corn's and flexibility with regards to weather is part of what made it so popular.

Weather continues to be the biggest risk factor farmers face and different parts of the US experience alternating wet and dry conditions throughout the year, Jansen said adding that a lot of farmers realised that Roundup Ready Corn 2 can provide early season weed control when used in conjunction with Roundup herbicide.

According to Monsanto, 2005 grower on-farm trials showed that the Roundup Ready Corn 2 System, when used with Roundup herbicide, yielded 6 bushels an acre more than conventional herbicide programmes.