Bayer To Launch New GM Cotton Varieties in 2009 – And More Each Year
21 October 2008 Bayer CropScience says it expects to receive EPA approval for its new glyphosate-resistant GlyTol trait in time for the 2009 growing season. Using a different gene and promoter than Monsanto’s, the trait makes plants resistant to glyphosate. GlyTol would be followed in 2010 with the introduction of Bayer’s H2 technology, which features a stacked-gene combination of the GlyTol trait and the LibertyLink trait that conveys resistance to Bayer’s glufosinate (Ignite) herbicide.
“Four times during the season we’ve applied the full rate of glyphosate and the full rate of Ignite, and we have not seen any crop injury, plant height reduction, or differences in yield or quality in any of the treated plots versus the untreated plots,” said Jonathan Holloway, trait development manager for Bayer CropScience’s BioScience unit in Lubbock, Texas, US. While Bayer researchers have not yet decided which plant lines will be introduced in 2009, “most of these lines contain the (FiberMax) 980 background,” Holloway said.
Bayer executives say growers will be able to choose from a wide range of products when they apply glyphosate over the top of GlyTol or GlyTol-LibertyLink varieties. “We have tested 12 different formulations of glyphosate over the top of GlyTol cotton and GlyTol-LibertyLink cotton, and we have not recorded any damage from any of the formulations,” said Holloway, explaining that: “Between now and launch, Bayer will finalize a list of recommended products for use over the top of GlyTol and recommended products for the use over the top of GlyTol-LibertyLink cotton.”
The GlyTol trait could be the first of several Bayer is planning to launch over the next few years, according to Mike Gilbert, head of Bayer’s BioScience Cotton unit in Lubbock. “We are very excited about the GlyTol trait and about the other new traits we have in our pipeline,” he said. “We plan to launch the GlyTol trait in 2009, and, every year thereafter, we plan to introduce a new technology or a combination of new technologies somewhere in the world.”
In 2011, Bayer plans to offer new GlyTol and LibertyLink (H2) varieties stacked with the Bollgard II gene, and GlyTol-LibertyLink varieties with Bayer’s new proprietary two-gene Bt TwinLink product in 2012. For releases after 2012, Bayer is working on genes for drought tolerance, improved water use, piercing and sucking insects, nematode control, disease resistance, tolerance to other herbicides and enhanced length, strength, and micronaire readings.
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