The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is inviting public comment on a request from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (Pioneer) to extend deregulation to a corn variety developed using genetic engineering. Seed Production Technology for Africa (SPTA) maintainer maize (DP56113 maize) was developed for maintenance and recovery of male-sterile corn breeding lines.
APHIS previously reviewed and deregulated the traits in DP56113 maize in another corn variety developed by Pioneer, referred to as DP-32138-1 maize.
APHIS reviewed Pioneer’s extension request and prepared a preliminary plant pest risk similarity assessment (PPRSA), concluding that DP56113 maize is not more likely to pose a plant pest risk than the previously deregulated DP-32138-1 maize.
APHIS is making the PPRSA and the deregulation extension request available for public review for 30 days.
APHIS will carefully review all feedback on these documents received during the public comment period. If APHIS does not receive any new scientific information, the Agency will announce the extension of deregulation to DP56113 maize on its website.
Source : usda.gov