Monsanto officials are pleased with the recent import approval from China for the drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids.

According to Monsanto row crop launch lead, Sarah Pierce, the approval granted last month gives farmers who had purchased DroughtGard hybrids in 2013 more options. “(They) signed a stewardship agreement saying they would keep the grain domestic until we had all final import approvals,” she said. “With this announcement, it basically freed them of their obligations and they’re able to market their grain more broadly as they see fit.”

More than 250 farmers in the Western Great Plains planted DroughtGard Hybrids last year on their farms as a part of Monsanto’s Ground Breakers® program. “We really utilized their feedback and learned from their experiences to position this product most appropriately,” said Pierce, noting that the hybrid performed very well in last year’s dry conditions. “Last year on average our growers experienced a five bushel yield advantage over competitive products,” she explained. “What’s great about the DroughtGard hybrids are that while they perform well in water-limited conditions, they also maintain top end yield potential in years where we have normal weather conditions.”

The drought tolerance trait in Genuity DroughtGard Hybrid’s represents the first commercial offering of the company’s joint R&D collaboration with BASF on yield and stress technologies.
Interview with Sarah Pierce, Monsanto