The $2 million Monsanto spent per day on research, will pay off in the future.

17 October 2007 - There are still many people who are under the impression that biotechnology is a new, untested science - but plant biotechnology products have a history of more than 12 years of significant commercial use around the world, and some 30 years of research and development. It may be said, that this is the single technology that is reshaping agriculture and industry and revolutionising medicine.

Monsanto is at the forefront of biotechnological development. In South Africa, the milestones reached during the past nine years included the release of Bollgard^® cotton, YieldGard^® maize, Roundup Ready^® soybeans, Roundup Ready^® cotton and Roundup Ready^® maize, as well as the stack-gene cotton released in 2005 and the stack-gene maize in 2007.

Since the release of genetically modified (GM) cultivars in South Africa in 1998, there has been a steady increase in the number of hectares of these products planted, giving the South African farmer first-hand experience of the excellent insect- and weed-control provided by this technology. Sales of the past nine years further reflect farmers’ satisfaction with the products. About 40% of all maize grown in South Africa comprises YieldGard or Roundup Ready GM maize, while more than 80% of the cotton planted in this country is of the stack variety combining both the Bollgard and the Roundup Ready-technology in one plant.

Monsanto was also given permission to start testing the much debated drought-gene under various South African weather and planting conditions in the coming planting season. The drought tolerance product concept is based on yield improvement through efficient water use, as well as tolerance against a water deficit. Some of the future benefits of this technology may include:

1. Yield benefits and stability
2. Flexibility in water management
3. Reduced water consumption
4. Cost savings
5. Reduced pressure on fresh water resources
6. Reduced soil erosion

Even though only a few traits are available at present, many other traits are in the pipeline. The “stacking” of genes to produce multiple resistances to different environmental stresses will continue to increase. Drought resistance, salt resistance, and the ability to cope with environmental problems of all kinds – those are all features that will be produced by the genetic technology of the future. Furthermore, others traits such as improved nutritional quality, are also on the charts and will be making strong contributions by the end of this decade.

Some of the products for the future include:
Omega-3 soybeans
Omega-3 is a heart-healthy oil contained in some fatty fish like salmon.
Nitrogen Utilization
This means that farmers could get a yield enhancement of up to 10 % due to the crops utilising Nitrogen more efficiently.

Drought-tolerant soybeans and cotton
These soybeans, which have yielded nine to 14% above current conventional ones under drought stress, and cotton, will be on the market early in the next decade if all goes according to plan.
Roundup RReady2Yield soybeans
These soybeans, which contain the same weed control and crop safety benefits as current Roundup Ready technology, have an added seven to 11% yield enhancement over current Roundup Ready products.
VecTran technology
This combines multiple genes in a single gene insertion site which results in a cleaner and more natural transformation process.
Dicamba-resistant soybeans
Dicamba, a common component of weed control in corn, will also be able to be used in soybeans when these soybeans are marketed to farmers sometime after the turn of the next decade.

Genetically modified foods have made a major contribution by revolutionising agricultural productivity. As the global climate changes, the need for rapid adaptation of our current cultivated crops will become increasingly important. We believe that this technology will be central in providing sufficient food and feed stocks for a growing population in the developing world and that it can play a central role in shaping agriculture’s response to climate change through adapted bio-fuel crops.

We further believe that all farmers on the African continent should be offered the opportunity to increase their productivity and profitability accordingly, by using the newest technologies available in agriculture. In the end, this will not only benefit them, but also all those in need of food.

In conclusion we can say that Monsanto is reaping the benefits of extensive investments in research and development. The pipeline of biotech traits includes new products providing crop insurance (insect-resistance and herbicide-tolerance), yield enhancements, input efficiency (less water and, eventually, fertilizers), and qualities consumers will pay a premium for. In short Monsanto is transforming commodity crops into specialty products!

Enquiries can be directed to:
Magda du Toit, Communication Manager, Monsanto SS Africa
Mobile: 27 82 388 0187
Tel: 27 11 790 8254
Fax: 27 11 790 8362
Magda.du.toit@monsanto.com