14013 - Case study from Santa Catarina, Brazil: GM contamination detected in maize variety

Autores

  • Hanna Hagen Bjørgaas Universidade Federal do Santa Catarina (Brazil) GenØk - Center for Biosafety (Norway)

Palavras-chave:

Transgenic, Lateral Flow Strips, PCR, Coexistence, Brazil

Resumo

Genetically modified (GM) maize has been planted in Brazil since the 2007/2008 growing season. Crosspollination from GM to non-GM maize, i.e. GM contamination, may have severe negative impact on genetic diversity, in addition to lost access to non-GM markets. Such contamination has previously been detected in Latin America, and is of great concern for farmers who wish to grow non-GM maize. In this study, we aimed to detect genetic contamination from GM maize to non-GM maize, and analyze the social context of such GM contamination, in a model system in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The transgenic protein Cry1Ab was detected in one non-GM maize field using lateral flow strips, and a Polymerase Chain Reaction confirmed the presence of the p35s promotor. In this case, lack of information about the national regulations of minimum distances between GM and non-GM maize might have enabled the GM contamination event.

Biografia do Autor

Hanna Hagen Bjørgaas, Universidade Federal do Santa Catarina (Brazil) GenØk - Center for Biosafety (Norway)

Hanna Bjørgaas has a master's degree in Biodiversity and evolution from the University of Oslo, and is currently working in a research cooperation between GenØk (Center of Biosafety, Norway) and UFSC (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brasil).

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Publicado

2013-12-28

Edição

Seção

VIII CBA-Agroecologia - Desenvolvimento Rural/Saúde e soberania alimentar