Tom J. Bechman
DIFFERENT HATS: Dave Nanda has worn many hats as the corn seed industry evolved over time. He held an important role at Seed Consultants in the early 2010s until the company was sold. Breeder’s Journal: The introduction of traits in seed changed the landscape of growing corn.
Monsanto, a chemical company, shook up the whole seed industry in 1996. Monsanto announced that it had developed corn inbred lines resistant to its Roundup herbicide so that the herbicide could kill most weeds but not harm the corn hybrids carrying the gene for Roundup resistance. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, and now that it’s off patent, many other companies sell glyphosate herbicides.