US to approve Dow's Enlist corn, soybeans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) recently said it was leaning toward approval of Dow AgroSciences’ genetically altered Enlist corn and soybeans — a move which would free up the traits for release in Canada, where they’ve been approved since 2012. The agency has opened the public comments for 45 days.

The Enlist seeds are designed to be used in combination with Enlist Duo, a new herbicide developed by Dow that combines 2,4-D and glyphosate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's plant-inspection agency concluded that the greatest risk from the new seeds developed by Dow AgroSciences was increased use of 2,4-D, which could hasten the evolution of weeds resistant to it.But, the agency said, resistance could develop anyway because 2,4-D is the third most-used weed killer in the nation.

The government has considered 2,4-D to be safe, but the US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) is conducting a separate review on the impact of expanded use. It's expected to release a report in the coming months.

Dow said the crops and the herbicide combination, dubbed the Enlist Weed Control System, will help combat an explosion of crop-choking weeds around the U.S. that have become resistant to glyphosate, the chief ingredient in the popular Roundup herbicide sold by Dow rival Monsanto.

“Enlist will be a tool to help address the significant weed control problems that farmers are facing today,” the company said in a statement.

Most corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. are already genetically engineered, usually with a Roundup-resistant trait.

Farmers have been eager for a new generation of herbicide-resistant seeds because of the prevalence of weeds that have become immune to Monsanto's Roundup. But skeptics are concerned use of the new seeds and 2,4-D will only lead to similar problems with weeds resistant to that chemical. Scientists and environmentalists also said 2,4-D can easily drift beyond the area where it is sprayed, threatening neighbouring crops and wild plants.