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From Bio Journal - August 2012


GMO crop approvals for April 2012


Table 1. GM crops approved for open field cultivation (Type 1 usage)
(Biodiversity Impact Assessment Investigative Commission)
CropTraitApplication
(Developer)
NameApproval Date*
MaizeDrought tolerance, lepidoptera and coleoptera resistance, and glyphosate herbicide toleranceMonsanto JapanMON87460×MON89034×MON88017, OECD UI: MON-87460-4×MON-89034-3×MON-88017-324 April 2012
MaizeDrought tolerance, lepidoptera resistance, and glyphosate herbicide toleranceMonsanto JapanMON87460×MON89034×NK603, OECD UI: MON-87460-4×MON-89034-3×MON-00603-624 April 2012
MaizeDrought tolerance and glyphosate herbicide toleranceMonsanto JapanMON87460×NK603, OECD UI: MON-87460-4×MON-00603-624 April 2012
* Technically, approval is granted after public comments have been accepted.







Closeup: GM canola contamination continues to spread

The nationwide survey of GM canola contamination in Japan carried out by citizens in 2012 (see BJ August 2011 for previous survey) narrowed down the number of locations to be surveyed, as in the previous year, taking 787 samples from locations in 34 prefectures. However, the surprising fact was that the highest number yet of positive samples was found, 121 from 15 prefectures, showing that the contamination is continuing to spread. Including past records and the prefectures in which MAFF surveys have found GM canola contamination, Hokkaido, Aomori and Miyagi, the number of prefectures in which contamination has been discovered has now reached 20.

The characteristic feature of this yearfs survey is that as well as discovering GM canola volunteers where they are likely to be found, as known from previous surveys, contamination was also found to have spread widely to other areas. There were many locations in which GM canola contamination was found for the first time: Hitachinaka City in Ibaraki Prefecture; Kashiwa City, Kamagaya City, and Matsudo City in Chiba Prefecture; Ohtsuki City in Yamanashi Prefecture; Takatsuki City and Suita City in Osaka-fu; Yamato-Kohriyama City and Tawaramoto Town in Nara Prefecture; Hatsukaichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture; Ube City and Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture; Munakata City in Fukuoka Prefecture; Amakusa City in Kumamoto Prefecture; Hioki City in Kagoshima Prefecture, and others.

Intercrossing has become very general, GM canola with tolerance to both Roundup and Basta being found every year. Previously, Roundup-tolerant GM canola was prevalent, but in recent years Basta-tolerant GM canola has been found more often. The majority of positive samples this year were Basta tolerant. The most important reason for this is the spread of Roundup-tolerant weeds, causing an ongoing switch in herbicide from Roundup to Basta.

A survey to find ghiddenh GM canola, those for which samples were negative on the primary test, but showed up positive on the secondary test, was launched this year. The analyses are still continuing, but of 31 samples taken in Fukuoka, Mie and Ibaraki Prefectures, ghiddenh GM canola has been confirmed in five samples taken along National Route 23 in Mie and two samples taken at Hakata Port in Fukuoka.

Table 2. Results of 2012 "GM Canola Volunteers Survey"
PrefectureNo. of samplesPrimary test
Roundup tolerantBasta tolerantDouble tolerance
Ibaraki

49

1

7

Chiba

39

2

23

Kanagawa

13

1

Yamanashi

14

3

Shizuoka

37

1

2

Aichi

40

1

6

1

Osaka

53

7

Nara

25

5

Hyogo

29

1

4

Okayama

17

1

Hiroshima

8

1

Yamaguchi

18

1

4

Fukuoka

78

16

26

1

Kumamoto

53

4

Kagoshima

16

2

19 other Prefs

298

TOTAL for 34 Prefs

787

23

96

2

(No. of positive samples: 121)

Compiled by the NO! GE Foods Campaign






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