Achievements
in Plant
Biotechnology
1999

Roundup Ready
Canola

"The important thing for consumers to know about these new foods is that they will be every bit as safe as the foods now on store shelves."

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Roundup Ready herbicide-tolerant canola was launched in the United States in 1999, while it entered its fourth commercial year in Canada. Like Roundup Ready corn, cotton, and soybeans, Roundup Ready canola can tolerate labeled over-the-top applications of Roundup Ultra or Roundup Original herbicides. Roundup Ready canola may allow growers to seed earlier; use higher yielding, later maturing varieties; and potentially enjoy a wider window for herbicide application. Roundup Ready canola is an excellent fit with all tillage systems, and it enables farmers to grow canola on land that was previously unsuitable for its production.

A Successful Launch in the United States
Market research conducted after planting and again after harvest in the United States showed that 66 percent of surveyed growers recognized the superior weed control benefits of the Roundup Ready canola system, while a high percentage noted its simplicity. Eighty-nine percent of surveyed growers considered the technology to be a good or fair value. In fact, US growers experienced an average $6.50 per acre economic advantage with Roundup Ready canola over conventional varieties.

Roundup Ready Canola Shows Superior Performance Over Competitors in Canada
	Roundup Ready canola Yield Advantage	Roundup Ready canola Profit Advantage
Roundup Ready canola vs. Pursuit Smart®	1.5 bu/acre	$11 per acre
Roundup Ready canola vs. LibertyLink®	.4 bu/acre	$6.50 per acre
Source: Monsanto Company, 1999	Pursuit Smart® is a registered trademark of American Cyanamid Company	LibertyLink® is a registered trademark of Aventis.

Sales Remain Strong in Canada
Roundup Ready canola was planted on 58 percent of the total Canadian acreage devoted to herbicide-tolerant canola last year and 38 percent of total canola acreage (herbicide-tolerant and conventional). Monsanto was the only company whose sales of herbicide-tolerant canola grew in 1999 (up 60 percent over 1998).

In an extremely competitive agricultural environment, Monsanto recorded 12,300 repeat Roundup Ready canola users last year (an 80 percent retention rate) and 7,500 new customers. According to surveys conducted at end of season, 73 percent of Roundup Ready canola growers surveyed were satisfied with the product.

"These [biotech] tools benefit the environment, our food supply and every consumer concerned with healthful food production."

Percy Wooten, M.D., President, American Medical Association

Innovations
Currently, the Roundup Ready trait is not available in hybrid canola, so developing hybrids with the trait is an important R&D goal that, when accomplished, could enable growers to obtain even greater benefits from the product.

Another important area of research at Monsanto involves the development of foods high in beta carotene, which the body uses to produce Vitamin A. Monsanto scientists have produced high beta carotene canola - the first crop to carry the new trait - which is currently in field testing in the US and Canada.

For more information on Roundup Ready Canola visit the BiotechBasics link.

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Achievements in Plant Biotechnology 1999

Achievements
in Plant
Biotechnology
1999