Biotech Updates

Indonesia Seek Comments on Environmental Safety Assessment of GM Sugarcane

February 4, 2011

Transgenic sugarcane events NXI-1T, NXI-4T and-6T NXI are drought tolerant sugarcane which are comparable with its conventional counterpart in terms of physical properties, nutritional value, and genetic stability. These are the first events of GM sugarcane containing betA gene responsible for drought tolerance. EcbetA gene derived from Escherichia coli for the event NXI-1T, and RmbetA gene derived from Rhizobium meliloti for the event NXI-4T and NXI-6T.

These transgenic sugarcane were found to be safe for environment says the report on environmental safety assessment based on Joint Decree of the Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Forestry and Plantations, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Food and Horticulture and the Government Regulation number 21 year 2005 on Biosafety of Genetically Engineering Product.

Summary results of Environmental Safety Assessment of this transgenic sugarcane (in Bahasa) can be downloaded at http://www.indonesiabch.org/docs/RingkasanTebuPRG.pdf.

The Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House invites the public to comment, input, and submit suggestions about the genetically engineered products (PRG) via email, phone/fax, discussion forums, guest book, Facebook (Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House), or via http://www.indonesiabch.org/komentar/tebunxi/.