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Drought-tolerant corn is designed to provide farmers yield stability during periods when water supply is scarce by mitigating the effects of drought — or water stress — within a corn plant. Field trials for drought-tolerant corn conducted last year in the Western Great Plains have met or exceeded the 6 to 10 percent target yield enhancement — about 7 to 10 bushels/acre — over the average yield of 70 to 130 bushels/acre in some of the key drought-prone areas in the United States.

Monsanto’s corn product represents the first in a series of drought-tolerant and higher-yielding crop technologies which the company is poised to offer farmers over the next decade. Experts have noted that drought-tolerant crop technologies represent one potential tool for ensuring greater sustainability and production within agriculture.

» GMPRC RECOGNIZES TWO, SAYS FAREWELL TO ANOTHER

The Grain Marketing and Production Research Center (GMPRC) awarded Jeff Anderes the 2008 NPA Award of Excellence Information Technology for outstanding achievement and dedication in delivering innovative IT services to the GMPRC. Joanne Gresens is the recipent of the 2008 NPA Award of Excellence Safety, Health and Environment for her service in maintaining a safe working environment.

After 41 years of service with the ARS, Larry Hagen has decided to retire. Hagen worked in the Wind Erosion Unit and has significant accomplishments in helping provide science-based wind erosion technology for soil science and conservation, and economical and social sustainable agriculture.

» USDA LAUNCHES PILOT PROJECT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) introduced a pilot of the biotechnology quality management system (BQMS). The system is part of continued efforts to enhance compliance with the regulatory requirements for field trials and movements of certain genetically engineered (GE) organisms.

The five participants accepted into the pilot project are Bayer CropScience, BASF Plant Science, J.R. Simplot Plant Science, Pioneer Hi-Bred International and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The participants will develop, implement and maintain a quality management system within their organization to manage the movement and field release of regulated GE organisms.