(Dow Jones) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will extend by two months its public comment period for a new genetically modified corn by Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) that is opposed by environmental groups.
Officials with the Center for Food Safety, one of the groups opposing the new corn trait that would give plants tolerance to the herbicide 2,4-D, said the USDA planned to file the extension Wednesday.
Dow’s subsidiary, Dow AgroSciences, has touted the trait as part of its Enlist weed-control system. It has developed the system as seed producers and farmers seek alternatives to glyphosate, a herbicide that is losing its effectiveness against weeds in the southern U.S. and, increasingly, the Midwest. Weed resistance to glyphosate has been a growing issue for Monsanto Co. (MON), which developed a genetically modified corn that withstands glyphosate and markets it under the Roundup Ready brand.
But environmental groups have argued that 2,4-D, an older herbicide more widely used before glyphosate became popular, is much more toxic. The resurgence of 2,4-D might be a temporary solution to weed resistance, but it causes more environmental damage, said Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety. He noted that researchers have also found weeds already developing resistance to 2,4-D.
“It’s really not a solution,” he said. “It’s going to exacerbate the problem.”
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will extend the comment period on the trait, which was scheduled to end Monday, until April 27.
Officials with Dow AgroSciences and the USDA could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.
Dow announced in December that the Food and Drug Administration found Enlist to be in compliance with regulatory issues under its authority.
Source: Dow Jones
Posted by Haylie Shipp
