Zoom imageJayme Williams assesses soybeans during a greenhouse trial.
The Argentinian Ministry of Agriculture has granted Bayer CropScience final approval for its herbicide tolerance technology for soybeans. The Liberty Link™ technology makes plants tolerant to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium and thus enables effective, broad-spectrum weed control.
“The approval of this technology for soybeans shows a very positive and constructive attitude to plant biotechnology in Argentina. It is an important step toward more sustainable and innovative solutions for farmers in that country,” said Dr. Mathias Kremer, Head of BioScience at Bayer CropScience. “The approval in Argentina is a further step toward regional regulatory harmonization for innovations and trade in soybeans. It also strengthens the growth of our business with seeds and plant traits.”
Weed resistance is evolving rapidly, driving the need for sustainable solutions such as new herbicide tolerance traits, especially in soybeans. The Liberty Link™ trait will deliver an important and effective weed management tool as an alternative to using glyphosate herbicides in genetically modified soybeans, which are currently grown on 18 million hectares in Argentina.
Bayer CropScience plans to launch its first genetically modified soybeans in Argentina once further approvals for important stacked traits become available. Liberty Link™ will be combined with these traits and then launched in the coming years.