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Court to rule on Monsanto alfalfa challengeWASHINGTON (AP)--The Supreme Court says it will consider overturning a court order that stopped Monsanto Co., from selling alfalfa seeds that are genetically engineered to resist its popular weed killer. The justices said Jan. 15 they will hear Monsanto's appeal of a ruling that has prevented its Roundup Ready alfalfa from being planted since 2007. The court's decision in this case also could affect a second ruling involving sugar beets that have been modified to resist Monsanto's Roundup weed killer. Opponents of the use of genetically engineered seeds say they can contaminate conventional crops. St. Louis-based Monsanto says such cross-pollination is unlikely and that the environment would benefit because less weed killer would be used. The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier approved the seeds, but courts in California and Oregon said USDA did not look hard enough at whether the seeds would eventually share their genes with other crops. Alfalfa, which is used for livestock feed and can be planted in spring or fall, is a major crop grown on about 22 million acres in the U.S., Monsanto said in court papers. About half the U.S. sugar crop comes from Roundup Ready sugar beets. Justice Stephen Breyer is not taking part in the case because his brother, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco, issued the initial ruling against Monsanto. The case is Monsanto v. Geerston Seed Farms, 09-475.
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