Public Notice
Application for the Trial Release of Genetically Modified Organisms

April 12, 2004 - Monsanto South Africa (Pty) Ltd. P.O.Box 69933, Bryanston 2021, hereby announces its intention to proceed with a contained field trial release of genetically modified cotton cultivars. These trails are part of a larger field trial program evaluating the performance of bollworm resistant and herbicide tolerant cotton under different environmental conditions. These trials represent a second year of trials in South Africa. A previously submitted application was approved and trials were conducted this past cotton production season.

This genetically enhanced cotton, developed through the use of recombinant events, contain a copy of Cry 1 Ac and Cry 2 Ab genes that express protein enzymes (delta endotoxins), which confer resistance of the cotton plants to cotton bollworm larvae (caterpillars) of specific Lepidopteran families. These genes were originally isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.

These genes were then combined using traditional breeding techniques with the recombinant event that expresses the enhanced enzyme CP4 EPSPS, which confers resistance to the herbicide glyphosate. This gene was originally isolated from an Agrobacterium sp. The cotton lines produced through normal breeding techniques, containing this combination of genes, are resistant to cotton bollworms and tolerant to the Roundup Ready herbicide active ingredient, glyphosate

The trial releases will occur near White River, Groblersdal, and in the Schoemanskloof valley. The trial in White River will be located at a research facility about 10 km from the town. Similarly the trial in Groblersdal will be located at a research facility about 2 km from the centre of the town. The trial in Schoemanskloof will be located on a farm approximately 60 km east of Nelspruit.

All interested parties should submit comments/objections to: The Registrar
Genetically Modified Organisms
Private Bag X973
Pretoria 0001.
Fax (012) 319 6329
All comments must be received within 30 days from publication of this notice.