Yesterday DuPont announced that its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. , has formed a joint venture with one of China’s largest seed production companies, Dunhuang Seed Co. Ltd., to provide top-performing corn hybrids to Chinese farmers in the spring market. “I’m excited about the opportunities for the Pioneer business in China and the increased productivity that we can bring to Chinese farmers,” said Paul Schickler, vice president, Pioneer International Operations. “This partnership brings together two strong seed companies and combines their strengths to benefit the agricultural industry.”

A plant-destroying virus farmers call one of their worst enemies may soon be an ally in the fight against crop pests and mosquitoes, say University of Florida researchers. Scientists genetically modified tobacco mosaic virus so that it produces a natural, environmentally friendly insecticide, turning the pathogen into a microscopic chemical factory, said Dov Borovsky, an entomologist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The modified virus is almost completely harmless to plants and simply produces the insecticide.

In a white paper the American Antitrust Institute (AAI) calls on the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division to evaluate the competitive issues raised by Monsanto's proposed acquisition of Delta and Pine Land (D&PL). AAI noted the deal raises both competitive issues and broader public policy concerns associated with dominant firm control of an important agricultural supply chain. The white paper analyzes six major issues raised by the transaction, which include: vertical integration, closed "systems," potential competition, consumer choice, efficiencies and entry barriers, and up-front fixes.

A generation ago, Iowa farmers would not have imagined harvesting 200 bushels of corn per acre. Now it is commonplace, and crop experts see 300 bushel-per-acre yields on the horizon. [...] Robb Fraley, Monsanto's chief technology officer, told European investors last month that conventional plant breeding on average results in 1.5 percent genetic improvement per year, while molecular breeding - enabled by biotechnology - doubles that rate of improvement. Together, the two approaches promise "to lift the ceiling on yield," Fraley said in his presentation. [...] Traditionally, it has taken 10 to 12 years to develop and commercialize a new seed corn hybrid. Now, that time has been cut in half through the use of biotechnology and off-season production in such places as Hawaii and South America.

Highly diverse mixtures of native prairie plant species have emerged as a leader in the quest to identify the best source of biomass for producing sustainable, bio-based fuel to replace petroleum. A new study led by David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology in the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences, shows that mixtures of native perennial grasses and other flowering plants provide more usable energy per acre than corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel and are far better for the environment.

A recent survey revealed that public awareness and understanding of genetically modified (GM) foods remains relatively low and consumers' opinions about GM foods are as divided now as they were five years ago. The survey also shows that while religious belief has some impact, it is not a key source of variation in public attitudes toward biotechnology and finds that animal cloning evinces much stronger opposition than does the modifications of plants. This is the fifth comprehensive survey of U.S. consumer attitudes about public sentiment about genetically modified food conducted by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. Similar comprehensive surveys were previously conducted in January 2001, August 2003, September 2004, and October 2005.

Winter months are quiet on the farm, but it's crunch time for seed companies Monsanto Co. and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. While farmers place their orders for next year's crop, the companies are fighting for market share in the multibillion-dollar market for genetically engineered seeds. Pioneer is developing new strains of biotech seeds, while Monsanto has been aggressively buying up small seed-dealing companies to get better access to farmers. The result seems to be a tight competition this year, with Monsanto possessing an edge, according to a recent report from analyst Kevin McCarthy with Bank of America in New York.

Ventria Bioscience, a California-based company, has been flirting with establishing a rice-processing operation in Beaufort or Washington counties for years; but in a recent interview, a spokesman for the company said that a new plant wasn’t in the cards. “We have invested time, people and made capital investments in Washington County,” Scott Dieter said Friday. “We certainly plan to continue and maintain that operation. Other than that we have no plans except to grow our rice and continue to combat the number-two killer of children.” The company already operates 200 acres on various farms in Washington County where genetically altered rice is grown. But the locally grown rice has to be processed elsewhere, outside the state. It is that operation, which includes husking the rice kernels and extracting the proteins, that the counties are competing to attract.

Scientists genetically engineered the plant in 1999 to resist the virus. Since then, they have been trying to give the technology away. But African nations, caught between the United States and Europe in a smoldering fight over biotechnology, have yet to allow field tests on their soil. [...] Nigeria was very interested in the biotech cassava at first. The Danforth Center flew Nigeria's national biosafety committee to St. Louis. But the committee postponed approval meetings. In 2004, Malawi nearly approved a field trial, but it was held up indefinitely by one official. [...] Last spring, he discovered that offspring from the cassava developed in 1999 had suddenly lost their resistance to the mosaic virus. The current cassava was engineered more cleanly, Fauquet says, and should retain its resistance.

Tweaking crop DNA has been good for Monsanto (NYSE: MON). The agricultural technology giant saw its fiscal 2006 revenue climb 17% to $7.3 billion, thanks in large part to ongoing growth in its corn seed and traits business. The success is impressive, but recent comments from a General Mills (NYSE: GIS) executive suggest that unless it takes action soon, Monsanto might have trouble maintaining its torrid growth rate. Not everyone is a fan of Monsanto. Plenty of folks have raised questions about genetically modified (GM) crops' impact on human health and the environment, even as millions regularly consume foods containing GM ingredients. In the U.S., concern over GM foods is relatively muted, in part perhaps because most consumers probably aren't aware that they are buying and eating such products.