May 2011

Table of Contents

REGULATORY NEWS

Regulation of GE Sugar Beet and Alfalfa Crops Continues to Breed Controversies
Phill Jones
In 2005, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) deregulated Monsanto's GenuityR Roundup ReadyR sugar beets. During September 2009, Judge Jeffrey S. White ruled that APHIS had violated NEPA, because the agency had deregulated the GE sugar beets without preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In January 2010, the Center for Food Safety filed a request for a preliminary injunction to prevent farmers from planting or cultivating GE sugar beets or GE sugar beet seeds until the USDA completes its EIS. On February 25, 2011, the appellate court issued its final decision and found in favor of the defendants. The court vacated the preliminary injunction and ordered that the APHIS permits be given full effect.

RISK MITIGATION RESEARCH

Utility of Aryloxyalkanoate Dioxygenase Transgenes for Development of New Herbicide Resistant Crop Technologies
Mark A. Peterson, Guomin Shan, Terence A. Walsh, and Terry R. Wright
Widespread adoption of herbicide resistant crops, glyphosate-resistant crops in particular, is evidence of the many benefits associated with these traits. The selection pressure created by continuous use of glyphosate in the absence of other weed control measures has caused significant infestations of weed biotypes with innate mechanisms to avoid injury from glyphosate applications. Most weed scientists agree that the only way to preserve the benefits of the GR weed control system is to introduce a greater diversity of tools into the system. The newfound utility of AAD-1 and AAD-12 transgenes as herbicide resistance traits will provide crop producers new highly effective, economical tools for managing weeds and herbicide resistance.

PLANT RESEARCH

Engineering Fungal Resistance in Crop Plants using Antifungal Proteins from Viruses
Thomas James Smith
Corn smut, caused by a biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis, is economically important in all countries where maize is grown. To control corn smut disease, several methods have been recommended, including crop rotation, sanitation, seed treatments, application of foliar fungicides, modification of fertility, and biological controls. We explored an alternative approach by introducing a component of a naturally occurring antifungal system into transgenic maize. Our study shows that transformation of maize with KP4 can generate constitutive antifungal activity against corn smut in the whole plant.

Website: http://www.isb.vt.edu

Published: May 10, 2011