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Monsanto Launches New YieldGard VT™ on Over 1 Million Acres in 2007
New YieldGard VT™ Technology to Provide More-Consistent Insect Control and Higher Yield Potential
ST. LOUIS (March 1, 2007) — For the 2007 growing season, Monsanto is launching the next technological breakthrough in YieldGard rootworm technology – YieldGard VT™. This technology offers growers improved consistency, even better improved insect protection and higher yield potential than YieldGard products currently on the market.
For more than a decade, YieldGard technology has set the standard for maximum insect protection. Its consistent in-plant control has given farmers bigger roots, healthier stalks and an average eight-to-10-bushel-per-acre yield increase compared with corn treated with insecticides.
"Because we enhanced the trait integration process for producing stacks, growers can get elite germplasm with better, higher-yielding traits six to 12 months faster," said Dion McBay, Monsanto's Corn Trait Marketing Manager.
YieldGard VT is the brand for VecTran technology uses that provides Monsant with a better opportunity to place genes on the chromosomes on which optimal performance of the stacked traits is achieved. VecTran technology is a more natural, instertion process that results in "hotter" stacked-trait hybrids with a highly active and more consistent barrier of insect protection.
A limited YieldGard VT launch is planned on over 1 million acres for 2007, with plans for significant expansion for the 2008 growing season. The first YieldGard VT product launched is YieldGard VT Triple, which contains the second generation of the YieldGard Rootworm trait and Roundup Ready 2 technology.
Monsanto field trials are proving that hybrids with YieldGard VT technology are performing under actual field conditions. In 2005, Monsanto dug 30,000 roots comparing YieldGard VT roots with the industry-standard YieldGard brands. The results proved that YieldGard VT hybrids consistently scored better in root ratings than first-generation YieldGard hybrids.
All YieldGard VT traits will be stacked with the Roundup Ready® 2 trait to give growers the convenience, flexibility and unsurpassed weed control and excellent crop safety of the Roundup Ready 2 technology. "What this means is that growers will be able to benefit from the most advanced insect protection and weed control system in one seed," McBay said.
Roundup Ready 2 Technology to be Planted on a Record 48 Million Acres
Roundup Ready 2 technology is on track to reach a new milestone. The technology
is expected to be planted on approximately 48 million acres this season, or about
60 percent of the U.S. corn acres. That is a substantial increase over the 33 of
million acres in 2006.
"Weather continues to be the biggest risk factor that farmers face," explains Chris Peterson, Monsanto Marketing Manager for Roundup Ready 2. "But regardless of weather conditions, farmers find that the Roundup Ready 2 System gives them the flexibility for early-season weed control plus the ability to come back with Roundup® agricultural herbicides through 48-inch corn, should Mother Nature force them to do that. That translates into excellent weed control with excellent crop safety all season long."
Grower on-farm trials in 2006 showed that the Roundup Ready 2 System – using Roundup® agricultural herbicides on Roundup Ready Corn 2 – yielded up to 6 bushels per acre more than other herbicide programs used with the same hybrid.
In addition, a recent independent survey of more than 400 growers across the Corn Belt showed that by a wide margin, participants who planted Roundup Ready Corn 2 in 2006 were much more satisfied with the weed control it provided compared with LIBERTY Link® corn or conventional corn systems. Overall, 91 percent of growers were satisfied with the performance of Roundup Ready Corn 2.
"This is the seventh consecutive year that Roundup Ready Corn 2 has scored a satisfaction level in excess of 90 percent," says Peterson. "With this high level of satisfaction combined with the great value the Roundup Ready Corn 2 System offers, we expect to see continued rapid adoption."
Always follow grain marketing and insect resistance management requirements, and read and follow pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® agricultural herbicides. Roundup agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not glyphosate tolerant. YieldGard®, YieldGard VT™, Roundup® and Roundup Ready® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ©2007 Monsanto Company.
