C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 29, 2002
DuPont To Launch
Soybeans Into Space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
In the first space experiment of
its kind, DuPont (NYSE: DD)
will begin space exploration de
signed to discover new scientific
research about one of the most
consumed crops in the world
today soybeans.
Continuing its extensive his
tory with NASA, DuPont has
partnered with the Wisconsin
Center for Space Automation
and Robotics (WCSAR) a
NASA Commercial Space
Center at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison to con
duct an unprecedented explora
tion of soybean development by
launching and growing soybean
plants in space during NASA’s
space shuttle flight.
The research will determine
whether plants grow differently
in space and examine the effects
of zero-gravity on plant growth
and development. The
soybeans-in-space launch is the
first initiative to grow a com
plete soybean crop in space
from planting the seed to har
vesting the grain.
DuPont subsidiary, Pioneer
Hi-Bred International, Inc., and
WCSAR will study the har
vested seed from soybean plants
grown in space to find out if they
have improved oil, protein, car
bohydrates or secondary meta
bolites that could benefit
farmers and consumers. -
According to the United Soy
bean Board, soybeans are the
largest single source of protein
meal and vegetable oil in the
human diet. Domestically, soy
beans provide 80 percent of the
edible consumption of fats and
oils in the U.S. In 2000, 54 per
cent of the world’s soybean
trade originated from the U.S.
with soybean and product ex
ports totaling more than $6.6
billion. The world’s largest seed
company, Pioneer, is the brand
leader in soybeans with more
than 100 product varieties on
the market.
As part of the initiative, scien
tists will plant Pioneer-brand
soybean seeds in a specialized
tray within a growth chamber
developed by WCSAR. The
chamber will be delivered to the
International Space Station
(ISS) from the space shuttle
flight. During the 70-day experi
ment, the soybean plants will
germinate, grow, and produce
seeds. Scientists will monitor the
process via video and data sent
from the space station.
The plants and harvested
grain will be returned to Earth
this summer by the Space Shut
tle Atlantis. Seeds exhibiting
unique and desirable qualities
will be planted by Pioneer re
searchers to determine if the
traits can be inherited in future
generations. Pioneer will iden
tify the genetics of those traits
and use that information to fur
ther improve the soybeans’ effi
ciency and profitability for
farmers.
DuPont, which marks its
200th anniversary in July, has a
long history of space initiatives,
dating back to NASA’s origina
tion 33 years ago.
“For 200 years, innovation
has been the cornerstone of
DuPont,” said Dr. Thomas M.
Connelly, chief science and tech
nology officer for DuPont. “As a
science company, we realize that
future opportunities don’t
always come where you found'
your last opportunities. The dis
covery process often requires ex
ploring in new areas like
soybeans growing in space to
unleash the next wave of inno
vation.”
“This is an incredible scien
tific opportunity for us and our
partners,” said Dr. Tom Corbin,
DuPont researcher on the
project. “Studying the effects of
soybean plants grown in space
will help us expand our knowl
edge of soybeans and facilitate
continued improvement of soy
bean germplasm for farmers.”
The joint initiative builds on
Advanced Astroculture (TM)
technologies developed by
WCSAR that have proven suc
cessful in growing other plants
in space. Astroculture (TM) con
trols the input of variables and
conditions necessary for plant
growth such as temperature,
water, humidity, light, atmos
pheric conditions, and nutrients.
“This program also provides
an exciting opportunity for stu
dents throughout the world to
learn more about the future of
basic plant growth through an
educational outreach program
called Space Explorers, Inc.,”
Corbin said.
Urbana Laboratories Inoculant Recognized
For Improved Soybean Yield
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. An ino
culant exclusively licensed and
marketed by Urbana Laborator
ies since 1994 has been recog
nized by the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS), the
chief scientific research agency
of the USDA.
In May’s Agricultural Re
search Magazine, the ARS cred
ited Urbana Laboratories with
being behind the success of the
bacterium, now enjoying “celeb
rity status as a commercial soy
bean inoculant.”
Urbana Laboratories has sold
approximately 14 million acres
worth of TA-11 Nod+, also
called the USDA Patented
Strain. It is estimated that the
inoculants containing TA-11
Nod+ have raised soybean yields
by nearly 30 million bushels
since 1995, the first year of sales.
At $5 per bushel, that’s an addi
NCGA Applauds Japanese Approval Of
Herculex I Insect Protection
ST. LOUIS, Mo. Grain
corn containing the Herculex T " I
Insect Protection trait has re
ceived regulatory committee ap
provals for food, feed and
import into Japan, clearing an
important hurdle on the road to
commercialization. Leon Cor
zine, chairman of the National
Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) Biotech Working
Group, said Herculex I provides
a new option for the nation’s
corn growers.
“It gives corn growers an
other choice,” said the Assump
tion, 111., corn grower. “The
Japanese approval of the com
mercialization of Herculex I will
give corn growers another tool
in the toolbox for production ag
riculture. It’s good for the envi
ronment and will help producers
with safety and profitability.”
NCGA believes the develop
ment of biotechnology offers
great promise for corn growers
NCGA Continues Promotion Of Ethanol
Co-Products With Distillers Grains Conference
ST. LOUIS, Mo. Registra
tion is under way for the Na
tional Corn Growers
Association (NCGA) Distillers
Grains Conference Aug. 21-23
in Prior Lake, Minn.
The NCGA North Central
Distillers Grains Conference,
sponsored by the Minnesota
Corn Research and Promotion
Council, the Wisconsin Corn
Growers Association, the Wis
consin Ethanol Promotion
Board, the Midwest DDGS As
sociation, is for anyone involved
in ethanol co-products fed to
livestock and poultry.
Sessions include nutrition re
ports, first-hand experiences,
and future production and
market trends of DDGS, said
NCGA Livestock Information
and Programs Manager Tracy
Snider.
“Managers and supervisors of
ethanol processing facilities re
sponsible for the sale and use of
distillers grains will find some of
the newest information available
regarding nutrition research
presented at this conference,”
she said. “Nutritionists and con
sultants will have the opportu
nity to discuss consistency and
quality of DDGS, as well as
question those who have experi-
tional $l5O million in gross
income for farmers.
The scientists who developed
the strain of bacteria used to in
oculate soybeans were recently
honored as winners of the 2002
Federal Laboratory Consortium
(FLC) Award for Excellence in
Technology Transfer. Microbiol
ogists L. David Kuykendall and
William J. (Jim) Hunter derived
TA-11 Nod+ through a nonre
combinant, or bacterial genetic,
approach “so you don’t have to
worry about foreign genes in the
bacterium’s DNA,” Kuykendall
said.
“The new strain’s impact has
been strong enough to show that
we improved on an old, sustain
able process and that what’s
good for the environment can
also make good economic
sense,” Kuykendall said.
In field trials, TA-11 Nod+
through improved efficiencies
and potential profits when man
aged wisely and with regulatory
oversight based on sound sci
ence.
Herculex I is the first trait in a
new generation of in-plant
insect-protection traits for corn.
This family of traits is being de
veloped in a research collabora
tion between Dow AgroSciences
and Pioneer Hi-Bred Interna
tional Inc. Herculex I guards
against European and
southwestern corn borer and ex
pands protection to include
black cutworm and fail ar
myworm.
Last year, the U.S. Environ
mental Protection Agency, the
United States Department of
Agriculture and the Food and
Drug Administration granted
full food and feed registration to
Herculex I for the United States.
Later in 2001, the EPA re
registered Herculex I, along with
other Bt corn products.
ence with using ethanol co
products.”
The two-day conference is de
signed to dispel myths concern
ing ethanol co-products. “As
more farmer-owned dry grind
ethanol plants are built,” said
Snider, “more distillers grains
will be available to livestock pro
ducers and animal nutritionists.
This meeting can instruct those
interested how to best utilize this
complementary ingredient in
their livestock and poultry ra
tions.”
Snider said animal nutrition
ists, feed consultants, commod-
THE CLASSIFIED LIVESTOCK SECTION
HAS BEASTLY SELECTIONS!
fixed 50 percent more nitrogen
in the plant tissue, increased
root nodulation 25 percent, and
showed a positive response 70
percent of the time. This helps
farmers reap higher yields, bene
fit rotated crops, and improve
soil conditions, while saving on
synthetic fertilizer in an envi
ronmentally safe manner.
Founded more than 50 years
ago, Urbana Laboratories in St.
Joseph, Mo. is a producer of
Rhizobium inoculants for le
gumes such as soybeans and al
falfa. Urbana conducts an
extensive, ongoing program of
product research and develop
ment, is dedicated to the contin
uous improvement of strains
and finding better methods of
application, and is committed to
the study of Rhizobium as an en
vironmentally superior alterna
tive to inorganic fertilizers.
While registration efforts con
tinue in other major corn
producing and corn-consuming
regions of the world, approval
by Japan’s regulatory agencies
for import of this grain marks a
major advancement, since
Japan is a key destination for
U.S. grain.
“NCGA wants to thank Dow
and Pioneer for their recognition
of our policies in waiting on the
commercialization of Herculex I
until they received Japanese ap
proval,” said Corzine. “We’re
confident they will continue to
work with us as they commer
cialize new products using our
‘Know Before Your Grow’ cam
paign as a model.”
For more information on
biotechnology and “Know
Before You Grow,” visit the
NCGA Website at http://
www.ncga.corn/biotechnology/
main/index.html.
ity marketers, and co-product
merchandisers will benefit most
from attending.
Attendees can register online
at http://www.ncga.rcsearch/
ddg/form.btm or by contacting
Jennifer Mueller at (314) 275-
9915, ext. 118 or mueller@ncga
xom. Registration is $l5O per
person, or $95 per person with a
group (two or more) discount
before July 19. After that date, a
late fee of $5O will be added.
For more information on the
conference, visit the NCGA
Website at http://www.ncga.
com/research/ddg/index.htm.
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