Page 12 - 13 Cotton SA November 2017

COTTON

Monsanto, BASF Agree to New

BAYER TO SELL SEED AND Restraints on Controversial Herbicide
onsanto and BASF over the past year began
HERBICIDE BUSINESS TO BASF Mmarketing new versions of the dicamba weed

ayer has agreed to sell its seeds and herbicides
have struggled to kill weeds that have developed
Bbusiness to BASF for approximately $7 billion killer to U.S. soybean and cotton farmers, who for years
resistance to other commonly used herbicides, like
in cash. The sale is intended to secure regulatory
Monsanto's Roundup. Monsanto developed new
approval of Bayer's planned $66 billion purchase of
were designed to resist dicamba, which would allow
Monsanto. genetically engineered soybean and cotton seeds that
farmers to spray it onto these crops without damaging
BASF, the world's third-largest maker of crop them. But farmers and
chemicals, has so far avoided seed assets and
instead pursued research into plant characteristics
such as drought tolerance, which it sells or licenses
dicamba, historically
prone to drifting
out to seed developers. crop researchers say
Bayer previously offered to sell assets worth around onto neighbouring
fields, has proved
$2.5 billion, but the European Commission said in
difficult to control.
August that the divestments offered by Bayer did
Scientists who study
not go far enough and Bayer had to sell the
weeds estimate that
LibertyLink-branded seeds and Liberty herbicide
dicamba over the
businesses, because they compete with Monsanto's
summer damaged
Roundup weedkiller and Roundup Ready seeds.
more than 3 million
The spread of Roundup-resistant weeds in North
America has been a major driver behind Liberty
engineered to resist the chemical.
The impact of the rules limiting sprayings of dicamba
sales. acres of fields planted with soybeans that weren't
The sale to BASF is conditional upon Bayer's herbicides, announced by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), may affect Monsanto's
acquisition of Monsanto going through which is
expected to occur in early 2018. biggest-ever biotech seed launch (soybeans engineered
to resist the chemical). Under EPA's guidelines, only
supervision, will be allowed to spray dicamba
New Biodegradable Polyester Fibre certified pesticide applicators, or people under their
formulations manufactured by Monsanto and BASF next
DuPont recently announced its latest innovation year. The EPA's new limits focus on the application
issues and do not address volatilization, herbicide
- Apexa® biodegradable polyester fibre. Apexa is
a biodegradable polyester that decomposes
experts and farmers said.
through industrial composting without creating
Monsanto proposed the changes and won support for
harm to the soil or environment. Developed
them from the agency, according to a company
through patented and innovative technology,
statement. Monsanto has blamed much of the damage
DuPont Apexa fibre breaks down into simple CO2
say the weed killer is risky because they can vaporize
and H2O to reduce textile waste and limit
and drift across fields, a process called volatilization.
environmental impact. It also blends with natural
fibres such as wool, cotton or cellulose to enhance
their attributes, making them stronger, softer and
more durable. on improper application of dicamba. Specialists, though,

12