StarLink Protein Found in Pre-Market Corn Seed

StarLink Protein Found in Pre-Market Corn Seed

WASHINGTON--Cry9C, the protein found in StarLink corn, was detected in pre-market corn seed during testing by seed companies. The bags were being prepared for sale to farmers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but none of the seed had been planted.

According to Associated Press (AP), Kevin Herglotz, a spokesman for USDA, said that a meeting had been held between industry and government officials as part of former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman's plan to stop the spread of StarLink contaminated seed. "The seed industry has informed us that they have found some of this [Cry9C protein] in seed," he said. "They have told us that the seed has not gone onto the market." AP further reported that USDA officials said the findings would not create shortages of seed or delays in planting.

Seed companies have been pre-market testing corn seed since the StarLink situation began last year. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) noted on its Web site that, "because StarLink still has the potential to influence the 2001 U.S. corn crop, we are asking farmers to insist that seed companies verify that the hybrids being sold for 2001 have been tested for the presence of Cry9C."

For more information, visit www.ncga.com or www.amseed.com/index.html.