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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Mimi Ricketts, NCGA, 636-733-9004, ext. 112
Gary Bradley (NCGA) 636-733-9004
Visit the NCGA website, http://www.ncga.com, or E-mail at corninfo@ncga.com
January 6, 2005
Corn Growers
Maintained High Levels of IRM Adherence in 2004
Annual regulatory survey reports more than 90 percent of
growers adhering to Bt stewardship requirements
(ST. LOUIS) January
6, 2005 — For the fifth year in a row, a large majority of corn
growers are adhering to insect resistance management (IRM) requirements
designed for corn borer resistant Bt corn, according to an annual survey
required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More than 550 Bt
corn growers in the Corn Belt and Cotton Belt were interviewed for the
survey during the 2004 growing season. The results from the survey,
which was conducted by an independent research firm for the Agricultural
Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee (ABSTC), highlight that
more than 9 out of 10 growers, or 91 percent, met regulatory requirements
for IRM refuge size, while 96 percent met refuge distance requirements.
According NCGA President
Leon Corzine, these results validate corn growers’ commitment
to being good stewards of Bt technology as well as the effectiveness
of a comprehensive, ongoing IRM awareness effort spearheaded by NCGA,
the Bt corn registrants and other key stakeholders.
“Awareness
is key to informed decision-making about why and how to comply with
IRM refuge requirements,” said Corzine. “Product stewardship
is everyone’s responsibility. As growers, we understand the economic
and environmental benefits that Bt technology provides and want to do
what we can to make sure Bt corn remains effective against pests and
is a tool that is readily available for all of us.”
Each of the four
Bt corn registrants -- Dow AgroSciences; Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
Inc; Monsanto Company; and Syngenta Seeds, Inc. -- are engaged in an
aggressive and broad-based awareness campaign aimed at ensuring that
Bt corn growers understand their IRM obligations, including extensive
efforts that have been undertaken by the registrants individually, as
well as coordinated efforts among the registrants and other stakeholders,
such as NCGA and cooperative extension services. Some of these efforts
include informative collateral material, a Web-based IRM training module,
on-farm visits and other education and compliance based activities.
The Compliance Assurance
Program (CAP) is another factor that has contributed to IRM awareness
in the grower community. Introduced by the seed industry in 2002, the
CAP was developed to further inform growers about the importance of
complying with IRM requirements and how to implement them on their farms.
Under the CAP, Growers who do not meet their IRM refuge requirements
in two consecutive years can be denied access to Bt corn borer resistant
corn in the third year by their Bt corn seed provider.
“Our experience
has been that, as the number of information resources available to growers
increases, so does compliance with the requirements,” said Corzine.
We’re clearly
seeing the fruits of effort and will continue to work hard to meet our
industry’s stewardship responsibility around this technology.
The seed industry recognizes the importance of maintaining diligence
in minimizing insect resistance and is committed to helping growers
meet the IRM requirements. Being good stewards benefits our customers,
industry and agriculture,” he continued.
Survey results indicate
that seed company and one-on-one dealer interaction has been a critical
factor in getting the word out to farmers. Ninety-six percent of survey
participants ranked seed dealers and their seed companies as “important”
sources of information — with 85% of growers recalling they had
an individual conversation with a seed company representative.
Not only did the
majority of survey respondents indicate they were aware of IRM requirements,
but 96 percent of Bt corn growers said they received enough information
to properly implement a refuge in 2004, which is seven percentage points
higher than 2002 and 22 percentage points higher than 2001 survey results.
The IRM requirements
established by the EPA, the Bt corn registrants and academics in 1999
obligate growers to plant at least a 20 percent refuge — that
is, corn that does not contain a Bt gene for controlling corn borers
— and ensure every Bt cornfield is located within one-half mile
of a refuge. In certain corn/cotton areas of the South, growers are
required to plant at least a 50 percent corn refuge. These IRM refuge
requirements were enacted to help minimize the probability of corn insect
pests, such as the European corn borer, from developing resistance to
Bt technology, enabling the technology to be used well into the future.
Corzine also credited
the EPA for using both science-based as well as farmer-friendly practical
information in developing refuge requirements. “The result is
high compliance rates and a system that works,” he said. “After
more than six years of using the technology, we have not found even
one resistant corn borer in the growing fields of America.”
Looking ahead to
the 2005 growing season, Corzine suggests growers consult with their
seed dealers and seed company representatives to help ensure they understand
and meet IRM requirements. Growers also can visit the “Know Before
You Grow” section of www.ncga.com
for more information on Bt corn and the IRM requirements.
# # #
The Agricultural
Biotechnology Stewardship Technical Committee (ABSTC) includes Bt corn
registrants Dow AgroSciences; Monsanto Company; Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
Inc., and Syngenta Seeds, Inc. The committee is working with the EPA
to enforce IRM compliance. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)
and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), along with various
seed companies and universities, all support the Committee’s IRM
compliance efforts. For additional information on biotechnology, go
to www.ncga.com.
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