Purdue University Department of Agronomy

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May 2010
URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/BiotechTraits.html

A Compendium of Biotech Corn Traits

R.L. (Bob) Nielsen
Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054
Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu
 
Click image to view larger version.U.S. Biotech Corn Acres
Percent of U.S. corn acres planted to
biotech corn hybrids since 2000.

Corn hybrids containing transgenic traits (aka GMO, biotech) were once a novelty, but now occupy the overwhelming majority of the acres of commercial dent corn grown in the U.S. In 2009, the United States Dept. of Agriculture estimated that approximately 85% of the U.S. corn acres were planted to biotech hybrids (USDA-NASS, 2009).

The two broad categories of transgenic traits available to U.S. corn growers today include resistance to certain insect pests and tolerance to certain herbicides. No more. No less. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Well, it is a little more complex than that.

There are two general categories of transgenic insect resistance available in corn. Both are governed by genes obtained from soil bacteria known as Bacillus thuringiensis and are referred to as "Bt" genes. The first category of Bt genes confer resistance to rootworm species (Coleoptera, Diabrotica sp.). The other category of Bt genes confer resistance to "moth" type insects such as European corn borer, Southwestern corn borer, western bean cutworm, fall armyworm, corn earworm, and black cutworm. Within each category of insect resistance, plant breeders have available two or more "flavors" of the Bt gene that they can work with.

There are also two broad categories of herbicide tolerance biotech traits in corn. One confers tolerance to glyphosate (Roundup® and assorted generics) and the other offers tolerance to glufosinate (the so-called "Liberty Link" trait).

Click image to view larger version.
ECB larva
European corn borer larva.

To complicate things further, biotech traits are not defined simply by the particular "flavor" of the responsible transgene. The chromosomal location of the transgene also defines the genetic event. Two different genetic events may contain the same "flavor" of a transgene, but are marketed under different trade names because the transgenes occupy different positions within the chromosomal makeup of the hybrid. One example is Syngenta's Agrisure® CB/LL trait and Monsanto's YieldGard® Corn Borer trait. Both traits contain the same Bt transgene (Cry1Ab), but because the transgenes occupy different chromosomal locations they are named as different genetic events (Bt11 vs. Mon810) and marketed under different trade names.

Additionally, this Syngenta event also contains the "pat" transgene that confers tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate. The "pat" transgene was included in the event as a selectable marker that enabled the researchers to more easily identify "successful" genetic transformations during the development of the Bt event. This dual-purpose use of the "pat" transgene for glufosinate tolerance is also evident in the TC 1507 and DAS-59122-7 Bt events from Dow Agrosciences / Pioneer Hi-Bred, but not in the Monsanto Bt events.

Finally, so-called "stacked" hybrids contain two or more biotech traits packaged together in a single hybrid. For example, Monsanto's YieldGard® Plus contains two Bt transgene events; one for the control of rootworms and one for control of several of the corn borer species.

So, even though there are only two broad categories of biotech traits available in corn today, there are many different "flavors" to choose from, packaged in many different combinations and it is easy for growers and consultants alike to become confused. The following table lists and describes the biotech traits available in 2010 for U.S. corn growers according to the trade name of the transgene event.

The information was copied directly from a database maintained and published by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). The information is based on annual surveys of the seed industry by the NCGA and, consequently, the accuracy the information is dependent on the accuracy of the completed surveys.

For the latest up-to-date listing of biotech traits, visit the NCGA database online at http://www.ncga.com/know-you-grow. That Web site offers the additional advantage in that you can click on each event name to view a list of commercial hybrid names and brands that contain each specific event.

A complementary source of background information on transgenic crops of all sorts is the GM Crop Database maintained by the Center for Environmental Risk Assessment. This resource offers more technical information about the myriad of transgenic events that exist today.

PRODUCT REGISTRANT TRADE NAME
CHARACTERISTIC
EVENT
JAPAN APPROVED
EU FOOD APPROVAL
EU PROCESSED FEED APPROVAL
Syngenta Agrisure® CB/LL
Cry1Ab, Corn Borer protection.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

Bt11
Yes
Yes
Yes
DowAgrosciences Pioneer Hi-Bred
Herculex® I
Cry1F, Western Bean Cutworm, Corn Borer, Black Cutworm and
Fall Armyworm resistance Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

TC1507
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Corn Borer
Cry1Ab, European and Southwestern
Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer and Southern Cornstalk Borer protection.
Mon 810
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Corn Borer with
Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Cry1Ab, European and Southwestern
Southwestern Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer
and Southern Cornstalk Borer protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
Mon 810 + Nk603
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Rootworm
with Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Cry3Bb1, Western, Northern and Mexican
Corn Rootworm Protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
Mon 863 + Nk603
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Rootworm
Cry3Bb1, Western, Northern and Mexican, Corn Rootworm protection. Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
Mon 863
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

NK603
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bayer CropScience LibertyLink®
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

T25
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Plus Cry1Ab, Cry3Bb1, European and Southwestern, Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer, Southern Cornstalk Borer, , and Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm protection.
Mon 810 + Mon 863
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard® Plus with Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Cry1Ab, Cry3Bb1, European and Southwestern Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer, Southern Cornstalk Borer, and Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm protection. Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

Mon 810 + Mon 863 + NK603
Yes
Yes
Yes
DowAgrosciences Pioneer Hi-Bred Herculex® I
Monsanto Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Cry1F, Western Bean Cutworm, Corn Borer, Black Cutworm and Fall Armyworm resistance.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

TC1507 + NK603
Yes
Yes
Yes
Syngenta Agrisure® GT
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

SYTGA21
Yes
Yes
Yes
Syngenta Agrisure® GT/CB/LL
Cry1Ab, Corn borer protection
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

SYTGA21 + Bt11
Yes
No
No
Dow AgroSciences Pioneer Hi-Bred Herculex® RW
Cry34/35Ab1, Western Corn Rootworm, Northern Corn Rootworm protection.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

DAS-59122-7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dow AgroSciences Pioneer Hi-Bred Herculex® Xtra
Cry1F, Western Bean Cutworm, Corn Borer, Black Cutworm and Fall Armyworm resistance Northern Corn Rootworm. Western Corn Rootworm protection.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

TC1507 + DAS 59122-7
Yes
No
No
Dow AgroSciences Pioneer Hi-Bred
Herculex® RW
Monsanto Roundup Ready® Corn 2
Cry34/35Ab1, Western Corn Rootworm, Northern Corn Rootworm protection.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

.
DAS-59122-7 + NK603
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dow AgroSciences Pioneer Hi-Bred Herculex® Xtra
Monsanto Roundup® Corn 2
Cry1F, Western Bean Cutworm, Corn Borer, Black Cutworm and Fall Armyworm resistance.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.
Cry34/35Ab1, Western Corn Rootworm Northern Corn Rootworm Protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

TC1507 + DAS 59122-7 + NK603
Yes
No
No
Monsanto YieldGard VT™ Rootworm/RR2®
Cry3Bb1, Western, Northern, and Mexican Corn Rootworm protection.
Glyphosate Herbicide Tolerance.

Mon 88017
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monsanto YieldGard VT™ Triple
Cry1Ab, Cry3Bb1, European and Southwestern Corn Borer, Sugarcane Borer and Southern Cornstalk Borer and Western, Northern, and Mexican Corn Rootworm protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
Mon 810 + Mon 88017
Yes
No
No
Syngenta Agrisure® RW
Modified Cry3A, Protection of Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm.
MIR604
Yes
Yes
Yes
Syngenta® GT/RW
Modified Cry3A, Protection of Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance

MIR604 + SYTGA21
Yes
No
No
Syngenta Agrisure® CB/LL/RW
Cry1Ab, Corn Borer protection
Modified Cry3A, Protection of Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

Bt11 + MIR604
Yes
No
No
Syngenta Agrisure® 3000GT
Cry1Ab, Corn Borer protection. Modified Cry3A, Protection of Western, Northern and Mexican Corn Rootworm.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.

SYTGA21 + Bt11 + MIR604
Yes
No
No
Monsanto Genuity™ VT Double PRO™
Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, European and Southwestern Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer, Southern Cornstalk Borer, Corn Earworm, and Fall Armyworm protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

Mon89034+NK603
Yes
No
No
Monsanto Genuity™ VT Triple PRO™
Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, Cry3Bb1, European and Southwestern Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer, Southern Cornstalk Borer, Corn Earworm, Fall Armyworm, Western Corn Rootworm, Northern Corn Rootworm, and Mexican Corn Rootworm protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

Mon88017+ Mon89034
Yes
No
No
Monsanto Genuity™SmartStax™
DowAgrosciences SmartStax™
Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, Cry1F, Cry3Bb1, Cry34/35Ab1 Western, Northern, and Mexican Corn Rootworms, European and Southwestern Corn Borers, Sugarcane Borer, Southern Cornstalk Borer, Western Bean and Black Cutworms, Corn Earworm, Fall Armyworm protection.
Glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
Glufosinate herbicide tolerance.
Mon88017+ Mon89034+ TC1507+ DAS59122-7
Yes
No
No

Related References

Acreage. 30 June 2009. USDA Nat'l Ag. Statistics Service. [online] http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/Acre//2000s/2009/Acre-06-30-2009.pdf [URL accessed May 2010].

CERA. (2010). GM Crop Database. Center for Environmental Risk Assessment (CERA), ILSI Research Foundation, Washington D.C. [online] http://cera-gmc.org/index.php?action=gm_crop_database [URL accessed May 2010].

Know Before You Grow. 2010. National Corn Growers Association. [online] http://www.ncga.com/know-you-grow [URL accessed May 2010].