Achievements
in Plant
Biotechnology
1999

YieldGard
Corn

1999 was the third commercial year for YieldGard insect-protected corn in the United States. YieldGard provides crops with season-long protection from a variety of harmful insect pests, including European corn borer, Southwestern corn borer, Southern corn stalk borer and corn earworm - all of which can severely damage a grower's crop and reduce yield potential. In fact, infestations of European corn borer alone can cut yields as much as 30 percent.

To achieve protection against these pests, YieldGard corn carries a gene from a common soil bacterium, called Bacillus thurengiensis or Bt. The gene causes the plant to produce a protective protein throughout its tissues. The protein is harmful to target insect pests but not harmful to beneficial insects or mammals.

U.S. Performance
More that 16 million acres of YieldGard corn were planted in the United States in 1999. Despite extremely low insect pressure last year,YieldGard continued to perform better than conventional corn hybrids. YieldGard corn also exhibited stronger stalks; it was healthier, and it sustained less ear damage than other varieties. For these reasons, growers realized a two-to three-bushel per acre yield advantage last year over the same hybrid without the YieldGard gene.

Fifty-three percent of surveyed YieldGard growers said the product provided them with a good value, while 83 percent of surveyed users were satisfied with the product. Simulated economic comparison studies of YieldGard versus conventional corn hybrids conducted over the past 14 years indicates YieldGard can provide an average $16.46 per acre advantage per year.

Environmental
Helping to ensure susceptible insects do not become resistant to the Bt protein in YieldGard corn is an important objective at Monsanto. In fact, since the commercial introduction of YieldGard in 1997, Monsanto - in conjunction with industry groups and the Environmental Protection Agency - has required growers to establish insect refuges, planted in non-Bt corn, where corn borers are allowed to survive without exposure to the Bt protein. This ensures susceptible insects are nearby to mate with rare resistant ones that may emerge from the Bt corn. For the 2000 growing season, the YieldGard insect resistance management (IRM) program will require growers to plant a refuge area using conventional hybrids equal to at least 20 percent of their YieldGard acres, and a 50 percent refuge when YieldGard corn is grown in areas that also produce cotton.

International
In 1999, more than 121,400 hectares (3000,000 acres) of YieldGard corn were planted in Canada, and 16,997 hectares (42,000 acres) were planted in Argentina. Registration also was received for South Africa. Registration is pending in Brazil and Indonesia. Longer term, Monsanto is working toward registration in China, the Philippines, Thailand, Bulgaria, Honduras, Venezuela, Mexico and Hungary. YieldGard corn is fully approved for export to Europe and Japan.

Innovations
Monsanto is devoting a significant portion of its research and development effort to the development of YieldGard hybrids that control a larger spectrum of harmful insects. Such a product may further reduce growers' input costs and, potentially, their use of chemical insecticides. Other products in the development phase have the potential of providing fall armyworm and corn earworm control for the U. S. market, improved control of African stem borer for the South Africa market, and pink stem borer control, targeted for Italy and France.

A Variety of Insect Pests Reduce Corn Yield Worldwide
Click Here for map.

For more information on YieldGard Corn visit the BiotechBasics link.