www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) CEO Chet Boruff
notes efforts are being intensified to assure seed purity for 2007 amid
demand for a growing variety of biotech crops and concern over export
?contamination.? January 2007 by Martin Ross.

Illinois Farm Bureau recently renewed a push for seed tags that ?clearly?
indicate varietal and genetic purity and legislation allowing growers to
recover damages resulting from seed that doesn?t conform to labeled
specifications.

Given rising grower expectations, American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)
President Andrew LaVigne told FarmWeek ASTA?s member seed companies are
working to ?bolster the policies and regulations that are out there today,
to continue to assure the purity of the product.?

AOSCA and its member state crop improvement associations, meanwhile, are
helping provide a backstop for industry efforts.

Boruff noted seed genetic purity is a ?very big issue? especially for the
GMO-sensitive European Union, a major U.S. corn gluten buyer that has
influenced biotech acceptance policies among U.S. grain processors. But
assuring purity poses an equally large challenge for the seed industry.

?This is something we?ve been grappling with for a long time,? Boruff said.
?For decades, we?ve been doing varietal purity. That?s really what seed
certification is all about: making sure of the physical characteristics ?
the things we can identify, inspect for, and see in the field.

?But the gamut of genetic diversity is something you really can?t see with
the eye or in the field through inspection. So we?ve been working with our
membership on changing our standards and providing a lot of expanded
(quality assurance) work and testing for the seed industry, to help make
sure it maintains that genetic purity.?

The Moline-based AOSCA also serves seed interests in Argentina, Australia,
Canada, Chile, and New Zealand, and works with the international
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose seed labeling
and certification standards are used in 55 countries.

Biotech concerns extend beyond the Corn Belt: Traces of genetically
engineered LL601 (LibertyLink) rice discovered in 2005-crop long-grain rice
shipments have hurt U.S. sales in several European markets.

To reassure global consumers of its food and environmental safety, USDA
recently ?deregulated? LL601, which had not been intended for commercial
release. To help restore market credibility, AOSCA and members are stepping
up 2007 rice seed testing and emphasizing field and equipment sanitation
procedures for seed growers.

AOSCA also is focusing on insect resistance management (IRM) efforts aimed
at ensuring Bt cotton and corn growers maintain adequate insect refuge ?so
the (Bt) technology remains viable longer,? Boruff said.

During the 2006 season, AOSCA helped conduct IRM refuge compliance surveys
with nearly 1,400 corn and cotton producers in 37 states.

?Illinois was a big player,? Boruff told FarmWeek. ?The Illinois Crop
Improvement Association (ICIA) went out and did these on-farm assessments.
Since Illinois is a big (Bt corn) user, it was one of our largest (survey)
participants.?

[farmweek.ilfb.org]

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