Corn seed short for US 2007 season: GM triple stacks sold out already

Corn seed availability limited
- Kristin Danley-Greiner, Farm News (Iowa), March 21, 2007,

In the US, the increased demand for corn by the ethanol industry has prompted more producers to consider planting corn this year, as have higher corn prices. According to crop experts in the South, quite a few cotton growers are switching a substantial amount of their acreage to corn this year.

It turns out that seed availability for the upcoming growing season is limited and in some cases, entire strains are completely out.

Paul Kassel, a crops field specialist with Iowa State University Extension, said he had heard that both warehouses with triple stack corn and triple stacked hybrids actually sold out last December. Triple-trait corn products stacked with YieldGard Plus and Roundup Ready Corn 2 are from Monsanto, DEKALB, Asgrow and are the first triple trait products in the biotech industry to offer in-seed protection against corn borers and rootworms, plus the added punch of herbicide tolerance.

Darrel Good with the University of Illinois said he, too, had heard that the triple stacked varieties sold out "pretty quick."

"Seed will likely be available, but not always the first choice," he said.

On the Farm Advantage Web site, 88 varieties of various strains of corn seed were listed as completely sold out as of March 5, with 47 varieties of various strains considered to be in short supply, meaning less than 100 bags were left to be sold.