Monsanto's biotechnology products, namely Bollgard, YieldGard, Roundup Ready Cotton, Roundup Ready Soya and Roundup Ready Maize, are all protected by patents both globally and in South Africa, and are made available to growers who wish to use them through a technology licensing agreement.

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP – COTTON

In order for producers to sustainably utilize the benefits of biotechnology, it is necessary for them to pursue the prescribed resistance management programmes to prevent herbicide and insect resistance, specifically bollworm resistance. By adhering to the generally accepted regulations, cotton producers can extend the life span of technology. This includes the use of alternative herbicides(such as trifluralin herbicides) in Roundup® Ready systems and the planting of refuge areas where Bollgard® technology is used.

It is important to keep in mind that the cultivation of refuge areas is compulsory by law.

Requirements for an appropriate refuge area

1. The refuge area consists of an area cultivated with cotton without the use of Bollgard® gene technology. The refuge area should be clearly marked.
2. There are two options:
• 80% Bollgard® cotton with a 20% refuge area where chemical bollworm control may occur in the refuge area with products not related to Bt.
• 95% Bollgard® cotton with a 5% refuge area where no chemical bollworm control may occur in the refuge area.
3. No Bollgard® cotton may be further than 800 metres from the refuge area.
4. The refuge area and the Bollgard® cotton may not be planted more than seven days apart.
5. The refuge area and the Bollgard® cotton must be derived from varieties with the same growth season duration.
6. The Bollgard® cotton and refuge area cotton cannot be mixed in the seeding trays to serve as refuge area. The reason for this is that the bollworms will mature on the non-Bollgard® plants and will cross over to the Bollgard® plants and therefore not be controlled.
7. The Bollgard® cotton and the cotton in the refuge area must be cultivated under the same agronomic conditions, e.g when the Bollgard® is irrigated the refuge area must also be irrigated. The same pest control practices, excluding bollworm control, must also be followed.
8. The refuge area must be at least 45-90 metres long and may be planted at the edge of the field or as strips across the field, depending on the width of the field.
9. Every farm should have a refuge area meeting the above mentioned requirements. The neighbour’s cotton does not serve as a refuge area.

Where Bollgard® is mentioned, it includes the stack gene varieties and where a refuge area is mentioned, it includes Roundup® Ready varieties. For Bollgard® varieties, conventional varieties as refuge, are recommended and for stack gene varieties Roundup® Ready varieties are recommended in order for herbicide control programmes to be applied across the total hectares.

RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL WITH BOLLGARD® COTTON

For effective control of bollworms:

• Plant cotton varieties with the Bollgard® gene to ensure effective control throughout the entire season. This should lead to the control of all bollworms.
• Within seven days, plant a block of cotton with similar growth length(but without the Bollgard® protection) close to the Bollgard® cotton to ensure the survival of susceptible bollworms.
• Apply Integrated Pest Control (IPC) by protecting the natural enemies of bollworms, such as pheasants, guinea-fowls, predatory beetles, spiders and other useful birds and insects, and not spraying unnecessarily with harmfull insecticides. Bollgard® is harmless to other insects and birds.
• Monitor and explore your fields regularly. If 5 larva/24 plants of the bollwormcomplex bigger than 8mm are found, contact your Monsanto representative, seed dealer or technology consultant immediately.

To prevent the build-up of resistance amongst target insects, producers have to plant a refuge area of conventional cotton.

Monsanto, the patent-right holder of Bollgard® technology, has also established an internal monitoring programme that continuously monitors the development of resistance in bollworm populations. This programme should include basis data, in other words the natural occurrence of resistance amongst bollworm populations should first be ascertained before using Bollgard®. There after, resistance must be regularly monitored to determine whether the resistance levels have changed. Any constant deviation from the basis data will immediately indicate to which extent resistance is developing.

Creating a refuge area is quite an effective way of countering resistance amongst insects. It would be very irresponsible and inconsiderate producer that harms himself and other farmers by not planting a refuge area in the prescribed manner. In this way, technology that has taken years to develop could be lost to all and the original problem could become even worse.

Refuge areas

5% Unsprayed Refuge

• Plant for each 1 hectare Bt cotton, 0.05 hectare non-Bt cotton as refuge area.
• E.g.: Plant 38 hetares Bt cotton and 2 hectares non-Bt cotton as refuge area.
• This refuge may not be treated with any lepidoptera-active insecticide labeled for the control of the bollwormcomplex(red-,africa-, spinybollworm) from the appearance of first square through to harvest.

Example:

38 Hectares Bt cotton

2 Hectares non-Bt cotton Refuge area

20% Sprayed Refuge.

• Plant 80% Bt cotton and 20% non-Bt cotton which will serve as the refuge area.
• E.g.:Plant 38 hectares Bt cotton and 8 hectares non-Bt cotton as refuge area.
• This refuge may be treated with any insecticide(excluding foliar B.t.k products).
• All bollgard cotton fields must be within 800 metres of the associated refuge.

Example:

38 Hectares Bt cotton

8 Hectares non-Bt cotton(Refuge area)

5% Embedded Refuge for large fields.

• Plant 95% Bt cotton and 5% non-Bt cotton which will serve as the refuge area.
• E.g.: Plant 100 hectares Bt cotton and 5 hectares non-Bt cotton as refuge area.
• This refuge may not be treated with any lepidoptera-active insecticide labeled for the control of the bollwormcomplex(red-,africa-, spinybollworm) from the appearance of first square through to harvest.
• For very large fields, place the refuge in more than one location in the field.
• The refuge must average at least 45 metres wide.

Example:

Non-Bt

Bt

Non-Bt

Bt

Non-Bt