Biotech Corn Performs

Researchers at South Dakota State University working with Pioneer Hi-Bred International conducted a swine growth study to assess the feeding value of a double-stacked transgenic corn grain for growing-finishing pigs. A genetically modified corn line that expressed genes for controlling corn rootworm and tolerance to herbicides containing the active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium was compared to a nontransgenic near-isoline control corn and a commercial corn Pioneer corn variety. The three corn lines were grown in the same environment to eliminate non-genetic variation. A total of 108 pigs were allotted to corn-soybean meal diets containing one of the three grains as the sole source of corn. There were three pigs per pen and twelve replicate pens per treatment. Pigs were fed grower diets from 37 to 60 kg, early finisher diets from 60 to 90 kg, and late finisher diets from 90 to 127 kg. No significant differences in average daily gain, average daily feed intake, feed efficiency, dressing percentage, lean muscle area, 10th rib back fat and carcass lean content were observed between pigs fed the control and the transgenetic modified corn grain. The authors concluded that the nutritional value of the modified transgenic corn grain was similar to that of the nontransgenic near-isoline control.

Stein, H.H. 2009. Evaluation of corn grain with the genetically modified input trait DAS-59122-7 fed to growing-finishing pigs. J. Animal Sci. 87:1254-1260.