That was the goal KWS Saat AG of, the German seed company that developed the genetically modified H7-1 sugar beet. The company used a concept from Monsanto in the USA that had already been used with soybeans, among other crops. As a result of a novel gene, the sugar beet is resistant to the active ingredient glyphosate, marketed under the name Roundup as a universal herbicide. It works by blocking the production of certain amino acids in all green plants. The plants stop growing and die. The effect of glyphosate is neutralised in GM plants that are resistant.