November 30, 2006

DuPont to develop biotech soy rival

US-based DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International said Tuesday, Nov 28  that it was on track to commercialise by 2009 a biotech soy product to compete with Monsanto's Roundup Ready soy trait.

DuPont awaits an approval from the USDA, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration.

The company's new GM soy seeds are resistant to glyphosate herbicide and would be marketed under the brand name Optimum GAT seeds. Currently, Monsanto sells its transgenic soy under the trade name Roundup Ready as well as ALS herbicides. These herbicide-tolerant soy varieties have gained worldwide popularity.

The ALS resistance would give access to broader product choices and technologies to farmers, DuPont said.

DuPont also struck a licensing deal with another GM giant Syngenta AG to market Optimum GAT seeds. The two firms, through a joint venture called GreenLeaf Genetics LLC, would out-license soy to countries worldwide.

After the soy launch, DuPont hopes to market corn, cotton and other crops with the Optimum GAT herbicide-tolerance trait.