SmartStax is a brand of

genetically modified Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the gene ...

seed made through a collaboration between Monsanto Company and

Dow Chemical Company The Dow Chemical Company, officially Dow Inc., is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company is among the three largest chemical producers in the world. Dow manufactures plastic ...

. It takes advantage of multiple modes of insect protection and herbicide tolerance. SmartStax takes advantage of Yieldgard VT Triple (Monsanto), Herculex Xtra (Dow), RoundUp Ready 2 (Monsanto), and Liberty Link (Dow). The traits included protect against above-ground insects, below-ground insects, and provide broad herbicide tolerance. It is currently available for

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

, but

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...

, and specialty crop variations are to be released. Previously, the most genes artificially added to a single plant was three, but Smartstax includes eight. Smartstax also incorporates Monsanto's Acceleron Seed Treatment System which protects against insects at the earliest stages of development. Smartstax is sold under the Genuity (Monsanto) and Mycogen (Dow) brands.

Insect Spectrum

SmartStax seeds control a broad spectrum of pests which includes larvae of above-ground insects such as European corn borer, black cutworm, southwestern corn borer, corn earworm, fall armyworm, western bean cutworm, and below-ground feeding larvae of western corn rootworm and northern corn rootworm.

Refuge acres

To prevent or delay insect resistance, growers plant a refuge on their farm. This is an area of non-GM plants where insect can live. These insect will not evolve resistance to GM technology. These refuge acres ensure that rare resistant insects that feed on insect-protected varieties of corn will mate with susceptible insects and slow the development of resistance.

Promotion and branding

Smartstax corn has been advertised and promoted on television, at farm trade shows, and online as Monsanto has geared up for widespread commercial release. Smartstax is sold under the Genuity Brand by Monsanto and the Mycogen brand by Dow, but both companies have the right to sell it under as many names with as many additional technologies as they wish.

Weed and insect resistance

Recently, rapid emergence of weeds thought to be resistant to Roundup have been observed. Horseweed, giant ragweed and

pigweed Pigweed can mean any of a number of weedy plants which may be used as pig fodder: * ''Amaranthus'' species ** '' Amaranthus albus'', white pigweed, tumble pigweed ** ''Amaranthus blitoides'', prostrate pigweed ** ''Amaranthus californicus'', Calif ...

, among others have been found growing with crops across the United States. Insects including

corn rootworm ''Diabrotica'' is a large, widespread genus of beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. Members of this genus include several destructive agricultural pest species, sometimes referred to as cucumber beetles or corn rootworms. Species * '' Diabroti ...

and bollworm have also begun showing signs of resistance. In response, Monsanto has continued to develop new products. The

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

approves use of Bt crops. Monsanto has denied there is a problem with their product.

Transgenic events, genes, and traits

SmartStax is bred from the products of four transgenic incorporation events MON89034, TC1507, MON88017, DAS59122-7, producing traits

phosphinothricin acetyltransferase Phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (, ''PAT'', ''PPT acetyltransferase'', ''Pt-N-acetyltransferase'', ''ac-Pt'') is an enzyme with systematic name ''acetyl-CoA:phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase''. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical re ...

, CP4 EPSPS, Cry1Fa2, Cry1A.105,

Cry2Ab Delta endotoxins (δ-endotoxins) are pore-forming toxins produced by '' Bacillus thuringiensis'' species of bacteria. They are useful for their insecticidal action and are the primary toxin produced by Bt maize/corn. During spore formation ...

Cry3Bb1 Delta endotoxins (δ-endotoxins) are pore-forming toxins produced by '' Bacillus thuringiensis'' species of bacteria. They are useful for their insecticidal action and are the primary toxin produced by Bt maize/corn. During spore formation ...

Cry34Ab1 Cry34Ab1 is one member of a binary '' Bacillus thuringiensis'' (Bt) crystal protein set isolated from Bt strain PS149B1. The protein exists as a 14 kDa aegerolysin that, in presence of Cry35Ab1, exhibits insecticidal activity towards Western Cor ...

, and Cry35Ab1.

References

{{Genetic engineering Genetically modified organisms in agriculture Maize Monsanto Dow Chemical Company Joint ventures