Monagro's hybrid corn

JAKARTA (JP): Herbicide and seed producer PT Monagro Kimia announced on Friday plans to produce 10,000 tons of prime-seed C- 7 hybrid corn by 2001.

Sales manager Sidi Asmono said the firm was developing the C-7 hybrid corn prime seeds on its corn plantations nationwide.

"The C-7 corn seeds could produce 8.64 tons of hybrid corn per hectare, far above five tons of corn per hectare produced by other hybrid corn seeds here."

He added the company would start commercial sales of the C-7 seeds in 2001.

Sidi said Monagro conducted its initial harvest of hybrid corn C-7 on its 2.5-hectare corn plantation in Kutai regency, East Kalimantan, last week.

He said that corn produced by C-7 hybrid corn seeds was large, more resistant to disease and drought and possessed a stronger stem. (gis)