University and other third-party studies in 2006 have documented the superior performance of Monsanto’s YieldGard® Plus and YieldGard Rootworm traits compared with corn products containing the Herculex® RW or Herculex XTRA traits.

According to Clint Pilcher, Corn Technology Development Manager for Monsanto, the findings are based on a total of 149 comparisons at trial locations conducted by 14 third-party sources in seven states. The findings from these trials show:

• YieldGard RW or YieldGard Plus products achieved an overall 22.8-bushel-per-acre yield advantage, outyielding Herculex products 85.9 percent the time.
• In third-party system trials, Monsanto’s product systems (germplasm + YieldGard Rootworm or YieldGard Plus) achieved a 23.6-bushel-per-acre yield advantage over Herculex RW and Herculex XTRA product systems when both systems utilized a conventional herbicide program (n=39).
• When Monsanto product systems were also stacked with Roundup Ready Corn 2 and protected with Roundup® agricultural herbicides for broad-spectrum weed control, the “triple stack” yield advantage increased to 28.1 bushels per acre over the Pioneer Herculex RW and XTRA systems with a conventional herbicide.

Rootworm Control

“The third-party data confirms the findings of Monsanto’s own trials — that from a root-protection standpoint, both YieldGard and Herculex technologies perform well,” Pilcher said. “But when we look at the total system, third-party research shows a clear yield advantage for Monsanto product systems containing the YieldGard Rootworm or YieldGard Plus traits.”

Pilcher noted that trait technologies can help farmers more effectively protect their crops from insect pests and weeds. But it is the combination of high-quality seed genetics and advanced biotechnology traits — the product system — that helps maximize yield potential.

Participants in the systems trials included the University of Nebraska, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of Minnesota, Purdue University, Ohio State University, University of Illinois, and Soy Capital Ag Services. Third-party studies also included university efficacy trials and F.I.R.S.T. (Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies), Busey Bank, and JP Morgan.

Sample Trial Results:

Iowa State University

In four different trials conducted at Iowa State University, hybrids containing YieldGard Plus yielded an average of 226 bushels an acre, while the Pioneer hybrids containing Herculex XTRA averaged 199 bushels an acre.

Ohio State University

Ohio State University conducted a trial at two locations demonstrating YieldGard Rootworm performance against Herculex Rootworm. YieldGard Rootworm averaged a 5.8 bushel-per-acre advantage, winning both comparisons.

Soy Capital

In four different trials conducted by Soy Capital, YieldGard Corn Borer and YieldGard Plus outperformed Herculex I and Herculex XTRA 72 percent of the time.

F.I.R.S.T.

Within the F.I.R.S.T. trial comparisons, hybrids containing YieldGard Rootworm, YieldGard Corn Borer or YieldGard Plus outyielded hybrids containing Herculex RW or Herculex XTRA by 13.1 bushels per acre.

Monsanto’s YieldGard Rootworm Corn technology was introduced in 2003 and YieldGard Plus was launched in 2004. YieldGard Plus contains both rootworm and corn borer technologies providing farmers with above- and below-ground insect protection. In 2006, Monsanto’s YieldGard Rootworm and YieldGard Plus technologies were used by more than 60,000 U.S. corn farmers to protect yield on more than 10 million acres.

Always read and follow grain marketing and insect resistance management requirements and follow pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® agricultural herbicides. Roundup agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not glyphosate tolerant. Roundup®, Roundup Ready® and YieldGard® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.