Monsanto Seeks Approval for the World’s First Drought-Proof Corn

Monsanto Company is one step closer to releasing the world's first drought-tolerant genetically modified corn after completing regulatory submissions in the United States and Canada. The biotech corn, developed in collaboration with Germany-based BASF, has moved into the final phase of development and could be available to farmers as early as 2012. Scientists from public research institutions and agricultural companies are racing to develop new crop varieties that can thrive when water is in short supply amid fears of global climate change.

Monsanto applied for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of its drought-tolerant corn product following its submission to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last December. The company said that regulatory submissions in key import markets such as Japan, Mexico, and Korea, will be made in the next several months.

The company has been working with BASF Plant Science on the drought-tolerant corn since March 2007. Monsanto and BASF are jointly contributing US$1.5 billion over the life of the collaboration, which is aimed at developing higher-yielding crops and crops more tolerant to adverse environmental conditions.

The media release is available at http://monsanto.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=695