Achievements
in Plant
Biotechnology
1999

Roundup Ready
Soybeans

In the fourth year as a commercial product, Roundup Ready herbicide-tolerant soybeans were planted on more than 37 million acres in the U.S. and 59 million acres worldwide in 1999, including Argentina, Canada, Mexico and Romania. A portion of their success among farmers is due to the additional flexibility they provide for managing weeds in the soybean crop. Modified to tolerate Roundup herbicides, which are non-selective among green plants, Roundup Ready soybeans provide growers with superior weed control and crop safety.

United States
The Roundup Ready soybean system continued to be adopted by growers in the United States in 1999. US growers planted more than 37 million acres of Roundup Ready soybeans last year, or approximately 50 percent of the total soybean market. Satisfaction with the product was extremely high among American growers: 97 percent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with the product, while nine out of ten users were more satisfied with their Roundup Ready soybean than with conventional programs.

Roundup Ready soybeans continued to provide growers with exceptional net returns, an economic benefit that led to an 82 percent satisfaction rate among surveyed users. Seven out of ten American growers surveyed rated Roundup Ready soybeans as a very good or good value, citing better weed control for less money and lower herbicide costs as important benefits.

Argentina
Roundup Ready soybeans were launched in Argentina in 1996, and growers there continued to report high satisfaction with the Roundup Ready system, especially in terms of the product's weed control capabilities. Last year, farmers in Argentina planted over 6 million hectares (15 million acres) of the Roundup Ready seed.

Monsanto Argentina also has introduced a proprietary branded premium seed, called Calidad Magna (Magna Quality). The extremely successful launch of Calidad Magna has established Monsanto as a significant supplier of soybean seed in Argentina.

Canada
Approximately 350,000 acres, or 16 percent of Canada's total soybean acres, were planted in Roundup Ready soybeans in 1999 - the second year of commercialization. Among those who participated in a yield comparison program, 94 percent of the growers indicated they were satisfied with Roundup Ready soybeans.

A yield comparison study showed a 2.5 bushel per acre yield increase from the Roundup Ready system compared to other weed control systems - an increase of .3 bushels per acre over the average shown in 1998.

Mexico
In 1999, Roundup Ready soybeans were sold under government-issued permits only to a small number of Mexican farmers who grew the product on about 520 hectares (1,285 acres). Farmers who were able to plant Roundup Ready soybeans last year enjoyed a yield average of 175 kg per hectare more than farmers who planted conventional soybeans, and they saved $50 per hectare on weed control costs. The positive experience of Mexican farmers with Roundup Ready soybeans last year provided evidence of the ability of developing country farmers to use this technology and potentially receive significant financial benefits.

Romania
The introduction of Roundup Ready soybeans into the Romanian market in 1999 represented a positive step forward for genetically modified crops in Europe. Out of 87,000 hectare (214,977 acres) of soybeans in Romania, Roundup Ready soybeans are planted on 14,264 hectares (35,246 acres), representing 31 percent of the newly purchased certified soybean seed market. In 1999, Roundup Ready soybean yields averaged 3,500 kg per hectare, up 120 percent from the average for conventional soybeans. The increase was due to Roundup Ready's superior weed control program and excellent Roundup Ready soybean variety performance.

Conservation Tillage
The Roundup Ready soybean system (Roundup Ready soybean seed and Roundup herbicide) has an excellent fit with no-till and conservation tillage (CT) systems. US users planted approximated 45 percent of their Roundup Ready soybeans in no-till compared to 37 percent no-till penetration in conventional soybean fields, an indication that the adoption of no-till production techniques in Roundup Ready soybeans is higher than it is in conventional systems. This is important because no-till is an effective technology for helping to save the soil, conserve soil moisture and nutrients, and preserve earthworm populations.

Innovations
Research efforts at Monsanto Continue to focus on ways to further improve soybean varieties for yield potential, disease and insect control. Soybean cyst nematode is a particular problem: in 1997, 219 million bushels of soybeans were lost in the United States to this pest. Currently, Monsanto-branded products lead the industry in resistance to soybean cyst nematode.

Our soybean researchers also are working in conjunction with Renessen, the Monsanto-Cargill joint venture, to develop biotech soybeans with improved processability characteristics or improved seed quality for use as animal feed.

Registration and Acceptance
The CIS countries approved Roundup Ready soybeans for import in 1999. Roundup Ready soybeans have been approved for import into Europe and Japan since 1996. Nonetheless, biotechnology acceptance continues to be an important issue, and Monsanto's efforts to openly communicate about the technology with consumers, food processors and farmers worldwide are ongoing.

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

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