Biotech Updates

Limited Release of GM Crops in the EU

January 29, 2010

The European Union Joint Research Council has published notifications on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified (GM) crops for non-commercial use in Europe. For this month, these include:

  • maize lines developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred and tested by Szent Istvan University in Hungary. The lines express the glyphosate-N-acetyltransferase (gat4621) gene and a modified maize acetolactate synthase (zm-hra) gene for herbicide tolerance, or the Cry1F gene for resistance to lepidopteran pests,
  • glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet hybrids expressing the glyphosate CP4 EPSPS protein by Ses Vanderhave Iberica in Spain,
  • sugarbeet lines resistant to rhizomania in Sweden. Rhizomania is a disease caused by the Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus (BNYVV). The sugarbeet lines express a RZM gene which confers resistance to the disease and the phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) gene, which acts as a selectable marker gene,
  • and  insect-resistant maize lines expressing the Cry1F and PAT genes developed by Procase Semillas in Spain Genetically modified maize lines develop by Monsanto in Spain (MON 89034 x MON 88017, NK603 x MON 810 MON 89034 and MON 89034 x MON 88017).

For more information on the release, visit http://gmoinfo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gmp_browse.aspx