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Balance GT soybeans receive Chinese approval (UPDATED)

MS Technologies and Bayer have received import approval from China for their Balance GT soybeans.

Lindsey Seitz with MS Technologies calls it “a significant milestone” in the Balance GT approval process, moving the new soybean trait closer to commercialization for soybean producers.

“We’re really excited that we do now have all of the import approvals that we need for the Balance GT soybean itself,” Seitz says.

The next big step will be EPA registration of the new Balance Bean herbicide, Seitz says, at which point the Balance GT Soybean Performance System will be launched.

“That will be kind of the final piece to the puzzle, if you will, that we’ll need before we’ll sell the system as a whole.”

Seitz says the EPA decision is “out of our hands”, but she is hopeful it will happen yet this year.

The Balance GT system will feature a double herbicide-tolerant trait that will confer tolerance to glyphosate and isoxaflutole, the active ingredient in Balance Bean herbicide.

Seitz says Balance GT will eventually evolve into a triple-stacked herbicide-tolerant soybean, Balance GTLL, providing tolerance to glyphosate, Balance Bean and Liberty (glufosinate-ammonium).

AUDIO: Lindsey Seitz