BASF herbicide-tolerant soybean scheduled for 2011 Brazilian market

Date:02-03-2009

According to German chemical company BASF, its herbicide-tolerant soybean jointly developed with Embrapa – Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária – has been submitted for regulatory approval to the Brazilian Biosafety Commission, CTNBio. Embrapa is Brazil’s public agricultural research corporation linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply.

The herbicide-tolerant soybean -- the first genetically modified product developed with BASF and Embrapa-owned technology to be available on the Brazilian market – includes herbicide tolerant genes supplied by BASF, inserted by Embrapa scientists into soybean. The commercial release of genetically modified soybeans tolerant to herbicides is proposed for the 2011 growing season and onward. Other bordering countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, have shown interest in the development of this technology for their soybean varieties.