Beginning Jan. 1, developers of genetically engineered (GE) wheat varieties must apply for permits before conducting field tests.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will require a more stringent permit process to replace the notification process employed in the past. It is designed to provide added protection that GE wheat will not persist in the environment after field trials are concluded, USDA said.
The new USDA’s Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations specify—that in order to be eligible for notification—a field trial must be conducted so the regulated article does not persist in the environment and no offspring are produced that could persist in the environment. In addition, when the field trial ends, no viable material shall remain which is likely to volunteer (grow following the harvest of a crop) in subsequent seasons.
APHIS already requires permits for many GE organisms, including all trees, perennial grasses and sorghum.
This action also strengthens the U.S. wheat export system. The permit reporting requirements help prevent possible unintended mixing with non-GE wheat that can have negative effects on trade and reassures international trading partners that the U.S. is committed to being the world’s reliable supplier of grain.