July 3, 2012

Canadian regulatory gives approval to Monsanto's Roundup Ready rapeseed

Monsanto's next generation, Roundup Ready rapeseed trait has received its full food, feed and environmental safety approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada, paving the way for what Monsanto anticipates to be a commercial preview launch to farmers in 2014.

According to a June 26 release, CFIA's Plant Biosafety Office and Animal Feed Division granted its approval June 8, while the food approval from Health Canada was completed June 18.

The new rapeseed trait will be marketed under the brand name TruFlex Roundup Ready rapeseed and is Monsanto's latest Genuity rapeseed trait.

"This is excellent news for farmers and is yet another example of how Monsanto's strong technology pipeline is bringing new solutions to Canadian farmers, helping them tackle those tough issues they face on the farm," said Jesse Hamonic, rapeseed trait marketing lead with Monsanto Canada based in Winnipeg.

Two key farmer benefits of TruFlex Roundup Ready rapeseed are enhanced weed control and increased flexibility. Farmers will have a wider window of application and greater flexibility to utilise a higher rate of Roundup brand herbicides to provide more effective control of perennial weeds and tough-to-control annual weeds in their rapeseed fields to maximise yield potential.

"Dandelions and foxtail barley are two great examples of weeds that can be controlled with the TruFlex Roundup Ready rapeseed system," said David Kelner, rapeseed technical lead for Western Canada. "With increased crop tolerance, farmers will have the flexibility to use the rate they need for tough-to-control weeds and the wider application window will allow them to deal with poor weather conditions that prevent spraying, without risk of crop injury due to late application. Together, these features will help farmers realise the full yield potential of their rapeseed crop."

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monsanto Canada, Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto family. Monsanto Company is an agricultural company and a global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products.