ASTA Alerts Members on Validating Corn Seed

March 13, 2001

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has informed its members to be prepared to provide farmers with validation that the corn seed they purchase this year has been tested for the unintentional presence of StarLinkTM (Cry9C protein) and shown negative results. These results should be derived from tests meeting or exceeding the quality standards set forth in USDA's testing and sampling recommendations.

"In order to give farmers greater reassurance about the corn seed they buy this year, ASTA members should be able to provide them with a written form of Cry9C protein testing verification," says ASTA Executive Vice President Dean Urmston. "This is another way for our members to augment customer and consumer confidence in future corn crops."

ASTA's 250 member companies involved in corn seed production and distribution may provide seed quality verification by way of paper certification or other means. These companies, representing the vast majority of the corn seed market, are committed to not selling any planting seed that tests positive for the Cry9C protein.

For its part, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) told its members to be sure to ask for verification that the seed being bought had been tested for Cry9C. Fred Yoder, Plain City, OH, chairman of the NCGA Biotechnology Working Group, said growers have two responsibilities. "We need to ask for verification that the seed we buy for planting this year has been tested for Cry9C, and we must control volunteer StarLink corn in 2001."