Brazil's Embrapa to launch first GMO kidney beans in the world in 2016
Date:09-03-2015
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa) announced that it will launch in 2016 the first genetically-modified kidney beans in the world. The cultivar will contain a gene with resistance to the bean yellow mosaic virus, which is transmitted by the whitefly.
The commercial release of the cultivar have already been approved by the National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) in Brazil in September 2011. The researches delayed five years because of a discovery during the tests in the field: an attack of Carlavirus, which is much more aggressive and overshadowed by the yellow mosaic virus. To ensure the quality of product, new tests were made to reduce the damage caused by the new virus.
Embrapa released a press with the second technical standard and announced in the press that the growing amount of testing and use would be completed this year. Those are requirements of the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) for the knowledge and genetic material selection.
Embrapa has recently launched a variety of transgenic soybeans developed with locally developed technology. The variety Cultivance, resistant to a group of herbicides, is the result of partnership with BASF.
Print this page. 