Multinational biotechnology firm Syngenta has filed an application to distribute a highly-potent, genetically modified (GM) Asiatic borer-resistant corn in the Philippines that should sustain farmers' increased yield even beyond 10 years of the GM corn's commercial propagation.

Syngenta's application involves more than one gene in corn that is known to protect the crop doubly from infestation from the Asiatic corn borer so that if the first gene loses its effectivity in resisting the pest, another one is present to make the corn plant survive the infestation.

Here, what is present is the transformation event called "vip3Aa20," a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on a vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip) which controls several pests in corn including corn earworm, common cutworm, fall armyworm, and corn semi-looper.

Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, biosafety expert of the Biosafety Clearing House Philippines and Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development executive director, said Syngenta's GM corn has effectively been found safe for use as feed and food.

"It has applied for direct use of the corn for feed, food, and processing. Safety is a non-issue here because its safety has already been established," said Ebora in an interview.

However, he explained that Syngenta should make it sure that it accurately explains the difference of this safe Bt protein from another type of protein that is toxic and which may confuse sectors with vested interest against the Bt corn technology.

Syngenta and other biotechnology firms like Monsanto have developed this second generation GM crop to ensure that Bt corn retains its potency against borer pests even beyond almost 10 years of commercial propagation of Bt corn in the country.

Monsanto has Mon 89-034 which is a GM corn that has two Bt proteins. This must be the counterpart of Syngenta's.

Monsanto has completed two seasons of multi-locational field trial of Mon 89-034 in the Philippines and is set to take another season of multi-locational field trial prior to its release in the market, according to Dr. Arnold Estrada, Monsanto biotechnology regional manager.

Monsanto has also developed another type of a second generation GM corn whose prime trait is its efficiency in nitrogen use, Estrada said.

This way, farmers may obtain the same high yield even if he reduces the use of fertilizer in farming. Or they may be able to obtain higher yield from this corn plant that has efficient nitrogen utilization.