A first-generation, drought-tolerant corn seed that Monsanto recently helped develop could increase yield in Kansas up to 50 percent, according to a Kansas State University crop ecologist.
"This could be very significant," said Kraig Roozeboom, an assistant professor for crop production at K-State.
Use of the genetically modified seed will primarily target land that yields 130 bushels or less and is not irrigated, said Tom Ruff, director of yield and emerging technologies for St. Louis-based Monsanto.
Over the past 10 years, Kansas has averaged 130.6 bushels per acre, ranging from 115 to 150 bushels. Last year's crop yielded 134 bushels.
About 60 percent of the 3.63 million acres of corn harvested in Kansas last year was produced on non-irrigated land.
But Roozeboom said the drought-tolerant seed would also affect Kansas' irrigated land, because rainfall amounts vary so much.
"We've been wet for two years," he said, "but 2007 was pretty dry."
He said the drought-tolerant seed should increase yield 25 to 30 percent, but it could go as high as 50 percent during very dry years.
Monsanto helped develop the seed while collaborating with researchers at BASF, a chemical company based in Germany.
Some of the early work on the seed was done in 2003 in western Kansas, Ruff said.
Pending regulatory approval, Monsanto has targeted the seed to be commercially available by 2012.
This is the first corn seed genetically modified to be drought-tolerant. Previous developments have used conventional breeding, which entails using a large number of genes.
The genetically modified process is more precise and uses only one or two genes.
Ruff said conventional breeding is still important to establish a solid base before adding one gene by itself.
Monsanto and BASF identified a specific, naturally occurring gene that allows the corn plant to continue to grow while under the stress of drought conditions.
A critical growth time for corn is when it's silking or tassling during late June and early July, Roozeboom said.
Ruff said he expects the seed will increase the yield nationally 6 to 10 percent annually.
By 2030, the goal is for the seed to double the yield from the 2000 level, which was 133 bushels per acre. This year, the projected U.S. yield is 154 bushels.
"We have a ways to go," Ruff said.
He said Monsanto is currently doing research on a second drought-tolerant gene that will enhance the process.
Monsanto has a trait development farm in Wichita, which conducts trial tests for corn and soybean products.
Copyright 2009 The Wichita Eagle
