June 4, 2008

Argentina approves second GM corn with stacked traits


Argentina approved a second stacked transgenic corn variety developed to provide resistance to pests and the herbicide glyphosate, corn association Maizar said in a press release late Monday.

The stacked trait was developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont Co. (DD) and Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) unit Dow AgroSciences LLC, Maizar said. A stacked trait combines two distinct transgenic characteristics into one seed variety.

The Agriculture Secretariat approved the new transgenic corn variety, which incorporates Herculex I, Liberty Link and Roundup Ready technology, on May 8, Maizar said.

In August last year, Monsanto's stacked MG and RR2 transgenic corn seed variety was also approved for planting in Argentina.

Argentine farmers already use seeds modified to produce insect toxins in about 60 percent of the corn crop, according to Monsanto, but this season marked the first time the stacked genes were allowed.

Almost all the soy planted in Argentina are planted from seeds modified for glyphosate resistance.

Argentina's GM crop acreage, at 17 million hectares, is only surpassed by that of the US, according to the International Service for the Acquisition Agri-Biotech Applications, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of agricultural biotechnology.