"The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday signed off on a new genetically modified type of corn developed by Monsanto Co after a review concluded it posed no significant threat to agricultural crops, other plants or the environment.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it would deregulate Monsanto's MON 87411 maize, which was developed to protect plants against corn rootworms that can damage roots and drag down grain yields and be tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate.

The so-called trait would be inserted into a line of corn seeds' genetic code and could be 'stacked' with other traits."

Karl Plume and P.J. Huffstutter report for Reuters October 23, 2015. [2]