LibertyLink is a BASF-owned brand of genes for use in agriculture providing tolerance to Liberty herbicide and glufosinate (a.k.a. Liberty or Basta). The genes were developed by Bayer CropScience, before being sold to BASF Ag in late 2017. LibertyLink provides an herbicide resistance system that is still effective in the presence of glyphosate resistant weeds.[1] The gene which gives resistance to glufosinate is a bar or pat gene which was first isolated from two species of Streptomyces bacteria. Glufosinate was included in a biocide ban proposed by the Swedish Chemicals Agency[2] and approved by the European Parliament on January 13, 2009.[3]

Crops

The LibertyLink gene is available in a variety of crops including corn, cotton, canola, sugarbeet and soybean. It is not available in rice.[4][5]

Contamination lawsuit

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Bayer CropScience's LibertyLink genetically modified rice had contaminated the U.S. rice supply. Shortly after the public learned of the contamination, the E.U. banned imports of U.S. long-grain rice and the futures price plunged. In April 2010, a Lonoke County, Arkansas jury awarded a dozen farmers $48 million. The case was appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court, which affirmed the judgement.[6] On 1 July 2011, Bayer CropScience agreed to a global settlement for up to $750 million.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Agribusiness: Bayer launches Ignite herbicide". Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  2. ^ "Interpretation of criteria for approval of active substances in the proposed EU plant protection regulation". Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI). 2008-09-23. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  3. ^ "MEPs approve pesticides legislation". 2009-01-13. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  4. ^ http://www.farmandranchguide.com/articles/2008/08/16/ag_news/production_news/duc19.txt[bare URL plain text file]
  5. ^ "U.S. Rice 99.9 percent LL trait-free | content from Delta Farm Press". deltafarmpress.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Bayer CropScience LP v. Schafer". Justia Law. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  7. ^ Bloomberg L.P. (1 July 2011). "Bayer Settles With Farmers Over Modified Rice Seeds". The New York Times.


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