Wallace's Farmer, IA
05-09-07
Growers Advised on New Rootworm Corn Trait
Rod Swoboda rswoboda@farmprogress.com
Syngenta's decision to proceed with encouraging farmers to plant corn hybrids
containing the company's new Agrisure brand rootworm trait (MIR 604) has
created concern among grain buyers and handlers in the Midwest and overseas.
Iowa State University Extension agronomist Roger Elmore and corn
specialist Lori Abendroth released the following information regarding this
issue last week.
Helping prepare the advisory information was ISU research agronomist and
professor, Mark Westgate, along with ISU grain quality expert Charles
Hurburgh. Hurburgh is director of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative. Westgate
has conducted numerous studies in recent years on pollen movement from field
to field.
The ISU advisory points out that certainly corn hybrids that are resistant to
rootworm feeding are an advantage especially as corn-following-corn acreage
increases. However, the fact that at this time the new Syngenta events are not
approved in many countries outside the United States presents some marketing
and production issues. These concerns apply equally to customers who buy corn
directly and to customers who buy protein feed products from either corn wet
milling or dry grind ethanol plants, the ISU specialists note.
Why the concern about Agrisure RW?
What should corn farmers be aware of and what can they do? The situation is
that the MIR 604 trait has been approved for domestic markets, but it is not
approved in most export markets. Farmers who sign the Grain Use/Marketing
Commitment and Agrisure Stewardship Agreement assume the responsibility to
deliver the grain to an appropriate market that will then direct the grain to users
who will not enter it or its products in export trade.
The ISU advisory lists the following precautions for growers of this corn:
* Make certain to arrange a market for the grain. Some feed mills and ethanol
plants may accept transgenic hybrids with this trait, while others may not.
Feeding the grain to livestock on site, or selling it to livestock feeders may be the
best options. Tell the buyer you are delivering Agrisure corn. In addition to
confirming that the buyer will accept it, this can lessen your potential liability
should problems arise.
* Keep accurate records of where this corn is planted and then where it is stored
after harvest. Entering GPS coordinates for the perimeter of each field containing
an Agrisure hybrid is strongly recommended if possible. Without this information,
the chances of remembering which field or bin contains Agrisure grain, and then
actually delivering this grain to the appropriate markets, are greatly reduced.
There is little chance to recover the Agrisure grain if it is mixed with grain that has
other, approved traits. If that happens, many more bushels will be involved.
* Check with the local ethanol plant or processor in advance of delivering
Agrisure grain. The process of making corn grain into ethanol concentrates the
protein, mycotoxins, etc., in the distillers dried grains with solubles fraction. Thus,
ethanol plants that export DDGS may not accept transgenic hybrids with the MIR
604 trait.
* Be aware that out crossing can occur between corn plants in neighboring fields
due to windblown pollen. This is especially important for corn destined for
markets that have zero tolerance for the MIR 604 gene.
Pollen can drift into neighboring field
A 2007 Ph.D. dissertation of one of Dr. Westgate's students at Iowa State
University documents the outcrossing to expect between two adjacent cornfields
flowering at the same time. Outcrossing was measured in three situations: a
seed corn production field and two for grain production.
The outcrossing decreased rapidly as distance from the field edge increased. But
0.5% (5 per 1,000) of the grain harvested approximately 115 feet into the field
contained genes delivered by pollen from the neighboring field. As shown by the
data on a graph in the dissertation, when the distance between fields is only 0 to
115 feet, the amount of outcrossing is greater than 0.5%.
At 115 feet, the lines intersect and the amount of outcrossing is less than 0.5%
from that point onward. The level of outcrossing was even greater when local
pollen production was artificially reduced to mimic levels typical of a hybrid seed
production field.
Seed firm says grain can be channeled
"Corn hybrids with built-in seed protection from corn rootworm can significantly
improve per-acre yields in fields at risk of rootworm damage," says Chuck Lee,
head of the corn product line at Syngenta. After securing U.S. regulatory
approvals, Syngenta introduced Agrisure RW for growers this planting season.
For the 2007-growing season, Syngenta developed a program for farmers who
are willing to direct their grain to domestic markets such as on-farm feeding,
domestic feedlots and select ethanol plants - those that do not export their DDGS
to foreign markets.
Syngenta is requiring all growers throughout the U.S. who purchase seed with
the Agrisure RW trait to sign the Stewardship and Grain-Use Marketing
Agreement. This stipulates that grain produced from Agrisure RW hybrids must
be directed to domestic uses such as livestock feed and selected ethanol plants.
Contact Syngenta if you have questions
Why did Syngenta decide to market hybrids with Agrisure RW in the U.S. prior to
approval by Japan and other export customers? "We can't let foreign
governments dictate what U.S. farmers plant," says Lee. In the past decade,
Japan has approved a number of biotech events. However, another 50 biotech
events are currently awaiting Japanese approval, creating a backlog.
Lee says the company decided to market the product due to the strong demand
to produce more corn in the U.S. The vast amount of corn is fed to animals, he
notes. And the Agrisure RW trait would account for a small percentage of the
corn planted in the U.S. this year. Lee feels farmers and the grain industry can
properly channel the corn that contains the trait to prevent it from ending up in
export markets.
Farmers with questions or concerns can learn more on Syngenta's Web site at
www.agrisuretraits.com or by calling toll free 866-796-4368.