Canada Approves New Syngenta Corn Trait

Syngenta Seeds, Inc. has received full Canadian regulatory approval from Health Canada and Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), for the Agrisure Viptera corn trait, also known as the MIR162 event. This approval allows Canadian corn growers to plant corn hybrids including the Agrisure Viptera trait and allows the importation of U.S. corn grown with the Agrisure Viptera trait for food or feed use.

“Canadian approval of the Agrisure Viptera trait is a significant milestone,” says David Morgan, president at Syngenta Seeds. “Canadian growers can now plant hybrids with this breakthrough trait technology, and American corn growers will have access to a major market once the Agrisure Viptera trait is cleared for U.S. cultivation.”

Advertisement

The Agrisure Viptera trait contains Vip3A protein, the market’s first vegetative insecticidal protein (VIP) for insect control in corn. Vip3A is a breakthrough technology that provides season-long, broad-spectrum control of lepidopteran pests and creates new options for insect resistance management (IRM).

Top Articles
BASF Launches SCNFields.com to Raise Awareness of Soybean Cyst Nematode Populations

In the U.S., the Agrisure Viptera corn trait and corn trait stacks have already received approval from the EPA and have completed the consultation with the Food and Drug Administration. The Agrisure Viptera trait also has received import approval from Mexico, and the trait and stacks containing it have been approved for cultivation in Brazil. Corn hybrids containing the Agrisure Viptera trait will be available for planting in the U.S. and Canada in 2011, following receipt of key import market approvals.

The Agrisure Viptera trait protects corn plants and increases yield potential by providing convenient, in-plant protection against the multi-pest complex, a collection of insects that includes corn earworm, fall armyworm, Western bean cutworm, black cutworm, stalk borer, and sugarcane borer.

The multi-pest complex affects most of the continental U.S. and can adversely affect yearly corn output. Each year, more than 238 million bushels of corn are damaged by the multi-pest complex, which costs U.S. corn growers $1.1 billion in lost yield and grain quality. Traditional insecticides are often ineffective against the multi-pest complex, due to the unpredictable nature of the insects and the rapid onset of infestations. For more information on the multi-pest complex, visit www.multipestcomplex.com.

0
Advertisement