Systems focus for new force in farming - farmers weekly
Play all audios:
28 JANUARY 2000 ------------------------- SYSTEMS FOCUS FOR NEW FORCE IN FARMING By Charles Abel VISITORS to the new UK headquarters of Monsanto/PBICs seeds, biotech and agchem empire could
be forgiven for thinking it was PBIC that bought Monsanto, not vice-versa. Monsanto signs and logos are absent. It seems the new organisation is keen to make the most of PBICs trustworthy
image and minimise the less favourable mantle the US firm acquired early in the GM crops debate. Healthy reputation But joint managing directors Stephen Wildridge and David Taylor say that
is not the case. Monsanto has a healthy reputation with farmers for good business and good products and a new strategy will enhance that reputation further, they insist. A commitment to wait
until the biotech debate has been resolved before commercialising GM crops is central to the new approach. But a host of new agchems and varieties and a new drive to develop systems to
exploit synergies between them is also key to the new culture. "We see the development of arable systems not individual products as the way forward," says Mr Taylor. "Farmers
are making fewer one-off decisions now, they are looking at how inputs and systems interact to get the best outcome." Establishment provides a key opportunity. "We know there are
genetic differences between varieties in their rate of development, preferred drilling date, rooting and take-all susceptibility. There is clearly scope for recommendations to fine tune for
varieties suited to use with a low-till system or a take-all seed treatment." But new products needed to make the approach work face delays. Approval for take-all seed treatment MON 655
is unlikely in time for a full autumn campaign. "Test marketing is more likely," Mr Wildridge admits. In-season brome and couch-killer MON 375 needs extra data to meet Pesticides
Safety Directorate demands. "We have provided an interim package – the question is whether that will be acceptable until the full data is available." Hybrid wheats are also
slipping behind. Initially promising variety Cockpit, with Napier yield and Hereward milling quality, failed to gain NIAB approval due to severe yellow rust susceptibility. Now hybrids
developed in France and trialled in the UK are in NL1 trials. UK-bred hybrids are further off, admits Mr Taylor. More promising are hybrid rapes from the former Cargill breeding programme.
MONSANTO/PBICGOALS _• No GM crops until public perception resolved. _ _• Roundup Ready beet and rape ready by 2004. _ _• GM herbicide tolerant winter wheat 2008. _
_• GM quality/ fusarium res winter wheat 2010. _ _• Biotech to speed cereal breeding. _ _• Detailed advice to exploit synergy between agchems and seed, for
example varieties for min-till, take-all treatment, second wheat slot. _ _• Mon 375 brome control spring 2001. _ _• Mon 655 take-all product autumn 2001. _ _•
Hybrid wheats in NL1. _