Aprosoja-MT receives Carbon Neutral Seal for sustainability actions
Director Zilto Donadello represented the entity at the event held at Parque Mãe Bonifácia this Sunday morning (05), at the opening of Environment Week
CTNBio (National Technical Biosafety Commission) unanimously approved last Thursday, June 2, the commercial use of corn genetically modified for insect resistance, called event EH913. The new technology, coming from a specific gene from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), is highly effective against lepidopteran pests, especially Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm, considered the main pest of corn), and Diatraea saccharalis (known as sugarcane borer). In all field tests carried out, the EH913 event presented surprising performance, comparable to the best Bt technology currently available on the market.
In laboratory tests, according to information from Embrapa Milho e Sorgo and Helix, the product was highly effective against fall armyworm larvae, even when diluted 25 times in an artificial diet, indicating a good prognosis in relation to resistance management. of insects. Additionally, corn with the EH913 event proved to be effective even against populations of Spodoptera frugiperda resistant to Bt proteins present on the market, indicating the absence of cross-resistance with such technologies and further reinforcing its innovative and disruptive character for pest management in the Brazil.
The EH913 event is the result of a 100% national public-private partnership between Embrapa and Helix, a company in the Agroceres group. The partnership was established in the Joint Public Selection Notice between MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation), BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) and Finep (Studies and Projects Financier), with the aim of supporting technological innovation in the agribusiness sector (Inova Agro Notice – 2013).
Event EH913 was approved by CTNBio during the 252nd ordinary meeting held on June 2nd. In a video published on the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, the president of the National Technical Biosafety Commission Paulo Barroso states that “the main difference of corn is that it was produced by two Brazilian companies, one private, Helix, and the other public, Embrapa”. “The development of this event, as well as the entire safety assessment process, were completely carried out in the country. It is a milestone for Brazilian science, which had already produced genetically modified soybeans, beans, eucalyptus and sugar cane. modified and now also GMO corn”, he said. According to the president of CTNBio, the main difference of the corn in question “is that it was produced by 100% national companies through a very well-informed process that correctly addresses food safety and environmental safety issues”, he reinforced.
The release places Brazil, Embrapa and Helix in a select group of countries and companies capable of providing Bt technology. “The construction of disruptive knowledge, in public-private partnership, is an intelligent strategic process of co-creation and co-development that is highly timely to increase relevance in the productive sector. Exchanging knowledge – technical-scientific, managerial and business – is relevant to impact the productive sector and, at this moment, the approval of the EH913 event for commercial use in Brazil puts the country and partners on a path to high contribution in the interest of the farmer and promotion of the development of Brazilian agriculture”, comments the general head of Embrapa Milho e Sorgo Frederico Ozanan Machado Durães.
Currently only two foreign companies supply the technology to the global market. Helix has already started the processes for the commercial release of the EH913 event in other countries. In Brazil, the date for the start of commercialization has not yet been defined.
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Director Zilto Donadello represented the entity at the event held at Parque Mãe Bonifácia this Sunday morning (05), at the opening of Environment Week
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