Monsanto Doubles Down on Soy Seeds After Herbicide Crop Loss

As unhappy farmers lodge complaints about crop damage associated with a new generation of soybean seeds being sown in the U.S., Monsanto Co. is ramping up its marketing push for the genetically altered product by offering growers more training and incentives, including some free equipment.

The company’s latest Roundup Ready 2 Xtend seeds are designed to withstand application of the herbicide known as dicamba, which some farmers are using as weeds show increased resistance to applications of Roundup, Monsanto’s blockbuster weedkiller. But in some cases, there has been “drifting” of dicamba onto fields of non-resistant crops. At least 2.5 million ...