MON 89788 is a variety of Roundup Ready soybeans made by Monsanto, sold under the brand name "Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybeans." They are genetically engineered to allow them to withstand the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide Roundup). When planting RR soybeans, a farmer can spray the entire crop with glyphosate, killing only the weeds and leaving the soybeans alive. However, one concern with the heavy use of glyphosate on Roundup Ready Crops is that it will lead to the development of glyphosate resistant weeds (sometimes referred to as "superweeds").
According to the USDA:
- "MON 89788 soybean plants have been genetically engineered to express a 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase protein from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4 (CP4 EPSPS), which confers tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. Expression of the added gene is controlled, in part, by gene sequences derived from Arabidopsis thaliana and the plant pathogen figwort mosaic virus. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation method was used to transfer the added genetic material into the recipient parental soybean line A3244."
Impact of MON 89788
For more detailed information, see the article on History of Roundup Ready Soybeans.
On June 27, 2006, Monsanto petitioned the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to deregulate (legalize) MON 89788. On February 5, 2007, APHIS published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that it had received the petition and soliciting public comments, due on or before April 6, 2007. The USDA did an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and concluded a "finding of no significant impact" (FONSI). On July 23, 2007, APHIS deregulated MON 89788.
In 2008, Monsanto first commercialized MON 89788 soybeans, branding them "Roundup Ready 2 Yield®" and marketing them as "the second generation of the popular Roundup Ready® technology farmers have used since 1996." In 2009, Monsanto unveiled a new branding effort, bringing all of its products together under one brand called "Genuity." Beginning in 2010, soybeans with the MON 89788 trait were branded as "Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield."
Articles and resources
Related SourceWatch articles
- Roundup Ready Soybeans
- MON 04032
- Roundup Ready Crops
- Genetically Modified Organisms
- Glyphosate Resistant Weeds
- William Neuman and Andrew Pollack, "Farmers Cope With Roundup-Resistant Weeds," New York Times, May 3, 2010, Accessed February 18, 2011.
- Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 148, August 2, 2007.
- Monsanto Company History, Accessed August 14, 2012.
- Product Safety Summaries, Accessed August 13, 2012.