Frequently Asked Questions

Please select a question from the list below to jump to the answer.

• What biotech crops does DuPont currently market?
• Can cross-pollination between different crops occur?
• What is the likelihood cross-pollination of biotech and non-biotech varieties will occur?
• If cross-pollination occurs, are negative agricultural or environmental impacts inevitable?
• Can herbicide tolerant genes move from crops derived through biotechnology into other crops and landraces and create invasive, persistent crops?
• Will pollen from DuPont crops derived through biotechnology decrease the genetic diversity of landraces?
• Does pollination of a non-biotech crop by a biotech variety affect the safety of food derived from the non-biotech crop?
• What is adventitious presence?
• What steps does DuPont take to minimize adventitious presence in seed products?

DuPont currently markets three crop varieties developed using biotechnology: soybean and canola that are tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate; and corn that provides protection against specific insect larvae that feed on corn and against the herbicides glufosinate and glyphosate.

These products, sold under the Pioneer® brand, provide farmers with new crop management options and increased productivity. Before marketed, these products were rigorously tested and reviewed by regulatory authorities for food and feed safety, environmental impacts and product performance.

No. Many factors naturally limit cross-pollination between different varieties, such as their tendency to self-pollinate and the limited length of time pollen is viable. Growers can further enhance these limitations by growing different varieties of a crop at recommended distances from each other and using border rows in those crops that have a greater capacity for cross-pollination, such as corn and canola.

The answer varies with the crop and environmental conditions. If non-biotech varieties are growing in proximity to biotech varieties, then a number of crop-related factors influence the likelihood of cross-pollination, such as pollen size, which affects the distance pollen travels in wind-pollinated crops; pollen competition, which is a function of the relative amount of pollen the two varieties produce; and the mode of pollination - wind, insect or both. The relevant environmental factors include wind speed and direction, presence of barriers between fields, percent relative humidity and temperature.

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No. Specific impacts depend upon the crop, the function of the biotech genetic material and the commercial interests of the grower. Looking at the experience gained from growing conventionally bred crops for many decades, it seems that rarely, if ever, will cross-pollination of biotech and non-biotech crops have negative agricultural impacts. In a few instances, herbicide tolerance genes in conventional crops have made weed control more difficult, but manageable, in some crop rotation systems. On the other hand, there are no reports of insect resistance and disease resistance genes in conventionally bred crops causing problems for farmers. Trace amounts of cross-pollination between biotech and non-biotech crops could have negative economic impacts if regulatory agencies establish thresholds for genetic purity of non-biotech grain that exceed long-established standards.

Herbicide tolerant genes can move from biotech to non-biotech crops and to some landraces, but this does not necessarily lead to the creation of "supercrops" with weed-like traits that make them difficult to control. Our experience with conventionally bred crops shows that if crops with invasive tendencies acquire resistance to certain herbicides either by cross-pollination or through natural evolutionary forces, these crops can be controlled with other herbicides on the market. In addition, only a handful of crops, such as canola, rice and sorghum, have potentially weedy traits in agricultural systems or persistence in natural environments. Modern-day corn and soybeans cannot persist outside of cultivated, agricultural settings.

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Cross-pollination between DuPont products and landraces is only possible for soybeans growing in certain parts of China, Siberia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Australia; and corn growing in certain parts of Mexico, Central America and South America. (DuPont does not sell soybeans any of these areas. DuPont sells corn derived through biotechnology in Argentina). Because of the tendency of soy and its relatives to self-pollinate, there will be little, if any, acquisition of biotech genetic material by soybean landraces. Considerable research has been conducted on the effects of gene flow from improved cultivars into landraces in ancient farming areas of Mexico. These studies have shown that indigenous farmers have been using conventionally bred, commercial seeds to increase the genetic diversity of local cultivars, in order to give the locally adapted cultivars new, desirable traits.

Currently, the Mexican government has placed a moratorium on planting biotech corn. A well-publicized 2001 study by U.S. researchers claimed that, in spite of the moratorium, biotech genetic material had become incorporated into landraces in Mexico. Many researchers were highly critical of the DNA detection methods that had been used. The scientific journal that published the original study retracted the publication. Despite the controversy surrounding the study, follow up studies commissioned by Mexican authorities revealed the presence of biotech genetic material in a small percentage of samples analyzed. However, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), based in Mexico, has repeatedly stated that current knowledge and theory in maize genetics suggests that single transfer of a gene from a biotech-derived crop occurred, it should be of little or no impact on genetic diversity.

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No. Scientists and regulatory authorities all over the world have deemed food derived through biotechnology to be as safe as other food on the market and have repeatedly stated that there is no risk in consuming biotech genetic material.

Adventitious presence is the presence of small amounts of genetic material or whole seeds from another variety, crop or weed in a seed or grain shipment. Virtually all seed and commercial grain shipments contain some adventitious material even though seed companies, farmers and the grain trade take many steps to minimize it. Recognizing its inevitability, national and international regulation of the seed and grain industries has taken adventitious presence into account for years by establishing thresholds for purity levels in seed shipments and that are slightly less than 100%.

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DuPont invests significant time and resources to maintain the highest possible level of seed variety purity so that our customers will enjoy the full genetic potential of a specific variety, whether we developed it with conventional breeding or biotechnology.

During seed production and harvesting, we meet or exceed the requirements of international, national and state regulatory authorities by using many strategies to prevent cross-pollination and seed mixing such as using required isolation distances between fields; planting border rows of a different variety that is not harvested for seed; staggering the planting dates of adjacent fields so that pollen shedding and receptivity are not in sync; and carefully cleaning the planting, harvesting, storage and conditioning equipment after each use. In addition, field inspectors monitor seed field operations to help ensure purity. Finally, we have a state-of-the-art genetic purity testing program and a detailed product identification and tracking system that is supported by ISO9000 and a complex information management system.