In its first GM seed approval, BASF has won regulatory approval for the cultivation of a genetically modified (GM) soy variety in Brazil, the second-largest soy producer after the United States, BASF reports in a press release. The GM soybeans, developed under more than 10 years of cooperation with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Cooperation (Embrapa) and marketed under the brand name Cultivance, were approved Dec. 10 by CTNBio, the Brazilian Biosafety Technical Commission.

Cultivance is BASF's first genetically modified crop approved for commercial cultivation, says Peter Eckes, President and CEO of BASF Plant Science, in the company's press release. The Cultivance Production system combines herbicide-tolerant soy varieties with BASF's broad spectrum imidazolinone class of herbicides, tailored to regional conditions, says the release.