Monsanto applies for federal permit to develop new varieties of corn

Monsanto Co., which has several locations in Hawaii, US has recently applied for a federal permit to develop new varieties of plants with a better combination of traits, including built-in pest resistance.

Under this permit, Missouri-based Monsanto said that it is able to grow seed corn as part of its ongoing efforts around controlling corn rootworm to combine characteristics of existing plants that could lead to new commercial hybrids of pest-resistant corn.

“While we are unable to provide information about specific field sites, the permit gives us an opportunity to move forward with this research effort in Puerto Rico and 22 states including Hawaii,” said Alan Takemoto, spokesman for Monsanto Hawaii. “There will not be any direct impact to our neighbors or the public as a result of this permit.”

He also pointed out that although experimental permits are often associated with new uses of chemical pesticides, this permit does not involve spraying or mechanically applying any experimental or research pesticide.

“The corn varieties we’re using are hybrids that are already being commercially grown, and the new traits will prove beneficial to our farmer customers,” Takemoto said. “In some respects, it’s similar to buying one iPhone app with multiple capabilities versus individual apps that do only one thing each.”

The Environmental Protection Agency is one of three federal agencies that regulate biotech crops in the United States, which includes oversight in such crops that contain traits to resist certain kinds of pests that can cause extensive damage to agricultural crops.

Some biotech companies in Hawaii and on the Mainland have come under fire for, among other things, disclosing the use of pesticides.

Just last week, Monsanto inked an agreement with Maui County to make sure it safely uses restricted-use pesticides.

This agreement comes on the heels of laws passed on Kauai and the Big Island regarding such disclosures, as well as being transparent about the use of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.