A new Dow Chemical Co. genetically modified corn seed won’t be available for U.S. farmers until at least 2014, according to the company which says it is still waiting for regulatory approval.
Dow Chemical’s agriculture subsidiary, Dow AgroSciences, said it had hoped to sell the seed for 2013 planting. The technology, called Enlist, is genetically modified to withstand applications of the herbicide 2,4-D. It is part of an industry response to the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide used in tandem with genetically modified corn and soybean seeds from Monsanto.
Critics of the technology say it will lead to more herbicides being used and, eventually, weeds building up a resistance to these products, as well.
