U.S. Department of Agriculture grants approval for Bayer CropScience’s GlyTol™ cotton technology

Monheim.– The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted approval for the GlyTol™ cotton technology developed by Bayer CropScience. Cotton varieties with the GlyTol™ trait are tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. The USDA’s decision, which follows approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, marks another milestone towards the first commercialization of GlyTolTM cotton.

“We are comprehensively preparing for a commercial launch of GlyTolTM in the United States in 2010,” said Monty Christian, Director of Global Cotton Marketing at Bayer CropScience. Bayer CropScience plans to spend the 2009 season familiarizing U.S. growers with the features, advantages and benefits of the new technology and the varieties in which it will be offered at launch. The company initially plans to offer two high-yielding, high-quality Gly Tol cotton seed varieties that are ideally suited to the Southwest region of the United States.

Varieties suited to other U.S. cotton-growing regions are expected to be introduced in the coming years. Bayer CropScience is the market leader in the U.S. cotton seed industry, with a total market share of nearly 47 percent last year.

The launch of GlyTolTM technology in the United States was originally planned for the 2009 season. However, because of a number of factors, including the narrowing planting window in the U.S. southwest and the timing of the USDA’s approval, commercial launch is now planned for 2010.

GlyTolTM glyphosate-tolerant technology gives cotton growers season-long in-plant tolerance to glyphosate herbicide and offers them the freedom of greater flexibility in their weed management decisions. The GlyTolTM trait provides robust tolerance to applications of glyphosate, and gives growers the flexibility to select any brand of glyphosate herbicide labeled for use on cotton without concern for crop safety.

GlyTolTM glyphosate-tolerant technology for cotton is the latest in a series of innovative weed and insect management solutions being developed by Bayer CropScience. Bayer CropScience is committed to further improving cotton and has a well-filled development pipeline of plant traits to be launched in the coming years.

These include traits addressing increased yields, increased tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions such as drought, and improved fiber quality. Cotton is one of the key crops at Bayer CropScience, which ranks second in the world cotton seed market.