New crop challenges

Monsanto, the world's largest seed producer, which is the focus of European opposition to genetically modified crops still banned from commercial planting throughout the European Union, has flagged up a new conventional variety of broccoli set to win awards at a major European show this month. The company is hoping that the new broccoli, Bellaverde, will sway the judges at the Fruit Logistica show in Berlin this month. The broccoli has proved attractive because of its ability to be grown in both northern and southern Europe and, after the main head is harvested, a number of harvestable sideshoots appear within days. The variety has proved a big hit in the UK, where its initial European trials took place, and the company hopes to launch it in Spain, Italy, Germany, Nordic countries and the Netherlands this year. While European countries welcome the new variety, the company is actually pinning its hopes on new genetically modified crops which are much less welcome in Europe at present. It has announced a pipeline of 11 new varieties which it hopes will change its fortune as its long-term profit maker, Roundup weed killer, faces increasing competition from cheaper generic versions. The prospect of further new genetically modified crops will provide fresh headaches for countries where such varieties cannot be grown, while their presence is increasing in a range of internationally traded commodity crops. The two biggest new products, which were announced last month, are Roundup Ready 2 Yield soya beans — a second-generation version of Monsanto's herbicide-tolerant soya beans, which the company expects to be planted on between 3 million and 4 million hectares this year. The other is SmartStax, a line of herbicide-tolerant and pest-resistant corn, which is expected to be planted on up to 2 million hectares. Already in the US, 90 per cent of the soya bean crop and 80 per cent of the corn and cotton crop are grown with Monsanto's GM seed. Other countries are also embracing the technology with India growing 8 million hectares of cotton, while Brazil is growing 14 million hectares of soya beans and Argentina 17 million hectares. Monsanto also has in the pipeline new potential crops, such as omega-3-enhanced soya beans, aimed at the consumer nutrition market, and Vistive Gold, which produces a reduced fat soya bean. " Products such as these should give farmers a compelling choice to upgrade to next generation technologies, " …