Monsanto developed a biotech crop that contains DvSnf7 double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) that controls corn rootworm (CRW), a major agricultural pest in corn. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), require environmental assessments to confirm that they are safe for the environment. 

A study was conducted to determine how the DvSnf7 dsRNA breaks down in the soil. The study was conducted across diverse soil types representative of where corn is grown. Results indicate that DvSnf7 dsRNA from GM corn that controls CRW breaks down rapidly in the soil and is unlikely to accumulate or persist in the soil. The full journal article can be accessed here: bit.ly/2fITu0s

The paper represents a first-of-its-kind study to examine how double-stranded RNA interacts with the soil environment serving as a key component to demonstrate the environmental safety of this GM corn.

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Why is this publication important to you? 

The paper represents a first-of-its-kind study to examine how double-stranded RNA interacts with the soil environment serving as a key component to demonstrate the environmental safety of this GM corn.

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Samuel Dubelman, Joshua Fischer, Fatima Zapata, Kristin Huizinga, Changjian Jiang, Joshua Uffman, Steven Levine, David Carson. 2014. Environmental fate of double-stranded RNA in agricultural soils. PloS ONE. 9(3). Published online 2014 March 27.  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093155
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