The common spud, a staple in diets around the world, is undergoing an upgrade thanks to advances in genetic technologies such as gene editing. Developing improved potato varieties through traditional plant breeding is remarkably challenging, in part because most commercially grown potatos have a tetraploid genome, i.e., they have four sets of chromosomes instead of two. Using advanced genetic tools, companies are editing potato genes to modify starch ratios, improve starch quality, and even make them more block-shaped so they can be cut into more uniform french fries. The focus on potato improvement is probably overdue considering it ranks third, behind rice and wheat, as a food crop for human consumption (what? it beats out corn and soy?). You can read more about the efforts to improve potatoes in Jacob Bunge’s Wall Street Journal article here.
A Third Dicamba Label Enters the Fray
Syngenta recently submitted a proposed label for Tavium, its own dicamba formulation, to register the herbicide for use in dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sygneta’s label submission follows the dicamba label submissions of Bayer and BASF to register the herbicides for use dicamba-tolerant crops after the previous registrations were vacated by a federal court earlier this year. Similar to BASF’s submission, the new Tavium label allows post-emergence over-the-top applications to DT soybeans until the V2 growth stage or a cutoff date of June 12, whichever is earlier. Bayer’s label for KHNP0090 label (formerly Xtendimax) is the only one that does not allow post-emergence applications in DT soybeans. Tavium’s cut-off for DT cotton is proposed as up through the 6th leaf or July 30, whichever comes first. A copy of the proposed Tavium label is attached here.
The EPA has opened a 30-day public comment period for BASF’s new label which will close on August 22, 2024. You can submit comments to the EPA’s docket (EPA–HQ–OPP–2024–0154) for the new label on Regulations.gov which you can access here.
