Monsanto Company, facing growing questions about rootworm resistance, to its corn seed technology, is pumping up to $3 million into research projects on the pest. The program will be co-chaired by the AgBioResearch Director at Michigan State.
Researchers in Illinois and Iowa have already reported rootworms developing resistance to seeds engineered to resist the bugs, which has concerned some agronomists and served as fodder for GMO-crop opponents.
A Monsanto spokeswoman won't concede performance issues with the seed, however.
"We have seen strong results," she says. "We do recognize that corn rootworm is very challenging."
