Monsanto awarded U.S. approval for new GMO seeds

ST. LOUIS -- Agriculture business giant Monsanto Co. said Thursday it received approval from the Department of Agriculture for new cotton and soybean seeds designed to be used with a new herbicide.

Monsanto's business is built on genetically modified seeds and herbicide. The company's seeds are designed to increase yield, deter pests and tolerate weed-killing chemicals, particularly the company's Roundup, a staple for farmers.

But many weeds have grown resistant to traditional Roundup, so the St. Louis company has developed a new version.

The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing that new herbicide, which adds an additional ingredient called dicamba. The single active ingredient in traditional Roundup is glyphosate, a chemical patented in the 1970s.