As one of a number of research-based organizations developing of Bt technology for crops, Monsanto is interested in all new research in the field.

The company is interested in working with all parties to better understand the possible impli-cations of new research/technology under actual fieldconditions. The research as reported in NATURE was conducted in an artificial(laboratory) setting.

++ As the authors note in their article, "In the field, the extent of developmental asynchrony and assortative mating would be affected by variation in toxin expression, weather and over-lap between generations." Under field conditions, insects would emerge from eggs over a period of time. You could not assume that all eggs would be laid or that moths would emerge at exactly the same time.

++ The laboratory research described in NATURE raises a number of questions. These questions need to be fully addressed to truly evaluate the significance of the research re-ported. Since the researchers did NOTfollow the pink bollworm larve resistant to Bt to adulthood and throughreproduction, the real question is would these larve ever complete their development?Would they survive to reproduce? If they survived, could the males be sterile? Do the females produced eggs? How many eggs? Would the eggs be viable? What would be the frequency of resistant moths (one in one million)?

++ The information in this correspondence doesn't distract from the current refuge strategy being applied to Monsanto's Bollgard cotton crop.The current strategy is based on a consen-sus of the best scientific input, the application of computer models and has been reviewed with the U.S. EPA.

++ Additional strategies continue to be developed to address the issues of insect resistance management in cotton. Refuge is just part of the long-term effort to keep these new tech-nologies viable for as long a possible. As has been noted in the Monsanto annual report the past two years "Second-generation Bollgard insect protected cotton...This cotton will produce a protein that fatally damages specific insect pests by a mode of action different from that used in the currently marketed Bollgard cotton. It also will help growers improve the man-agement of their insect-resistance programs."

Regards, Gary Barton, Monsanto, Ag Sector Public Affairs (314) 694-7233

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