Monsanto wins USDA approval for new generation of herbicide-resistant cotton and soybean seeds

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 formula.

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 worldwide.

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

The Environmental Protection Agency is still 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.