Crops tolerant to a new glyphosate product will have an advantage in also tolerating an ALS herbicide.
Dupont plans to release corn, soybean and canola lines of the latest genetics from Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta over the next few years that contain tolerance to both glyphosate and sulfonylurea, an amino acid synthesis inhibitor or ALS.
Branded by the companies as Optimum GAT, or glyphosate ALS tolerant, the varieties could help producers deal with glyphosate tolerant weeds and crop volunteers.
Todd Frazier of Pioneer Hi-Bred said soybeans with the new trait when tested are not showing the two to three bushel yield reduction that has been observed in other glyphosate tolerant crops.
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Frazier said when the Roundup Ready gene is added to a high performing soybean variety, the yield drops by up to three bu. per acre when compared to the same variety without the trait.
“We aren’t seeing that same problem with the Optimum GAT varieties. (That’s) a bonus that will pay producers to use the varieties and the herbicide beyond weed control,” he said.
Dupont explained that the Optimum GAT plant has a trait that binds with the glyphosate molecule, transforming it into a metabolite with which the plant can deal.
In other glyphosate tolerant systems, the herbicide makes changes in plant enzymes, but this comes at a cost to the yield potential of the plant, said Frazier.
Jerry Harrington of Pioneer Hi-Bred said the new crops would also have wider windows of application for the product, allowing farmers to spray at earlier and later plant stages without affecting yield.
“Testing is showing the application rates can also be many times higher than currently would work. While producers wouldn’t need to go to the eight or 16 times normal rates that we’ve tested, they could increase rates to control serious weed problems without fear of damaging the crops,” he said.
The crops are being developed with a process called gene shuffling and are the first use of this technology, said Frazier.
“We’re taking (plant) traits with poor properties and transforming those traits into ones with a higher value,” he said.
Corn and soybean lines with the new trait are expected to be approved next year in the United States with widespread commercial availability in 2009.
In Canada, Frazier hoped registration will be complete by 2010. He said canola is still five years from release, but early work with the crop is positive with the same yield and weed control characteristics that were observed in soybeans.
Frazier said the new genetically modified crops address issues that farmers identified as problems.
“We acted on issues that producers said were causing them concern and costing them money,” he said.
