Future of Grain
HIGHLIGHTING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN GRAIN PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION
Monsanto and BASF team up
Seed and chemical giants have recently announced plans to work together to develop genetically modified wheat. Although the two companies have discussed this in the past, concern over export market acceptance put the project on hold. Now, with declining production of wheat in the US, there has been renewed interest in GM wheat.
This new focus on wheat is part of the two companies nearly doubling their investments in an already established relationship concerning the development of biotech crops, reports Carey Gillam for Reuters.
The focus of this new investment will be on increasing yield, similar to their focus in other crops. Initial commercializations of varieties made from this partnership are not expected until 2020. •
New control for Western Bean Cutworm
The use of Matador/Warrior insecticide for control of Western Bean Cutworm (WBC) on corn and Legume vegetables has recently been approved by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).
The request, called a User Requested Minor Use Label Expansion, was submitted in 2009 as growers and extension personnel in Canada identified it as a minor use priority. The request came from the minor use office of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The active ingredient, cyhalothin-lambda was already registered for use on a wide range of crops including grains and oilseeds; however, it was not registered for use in controlling WBC. With increasing incidence of WBC in southern Ontario, pest management is becoming increasingly important.
According to Jim Chaput of OMAFRA, “applications should be based on the presence of vulnerable pest developmental stages and significant populations as determined by local monitoring.”
The complete label of Matador/Warrior Insecticide should be consulted before use. Also, note that Warrior will eventually replace Matador in the marketplace. •
