No abstract

In this paper, DNA extraction methods have been evaluated to detect the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in maize food and feed products commercialised in Turkey. All the extraction methods tested performed well for the majority of maize foods and feed products analysed. However, the highest DNA content was achieved by the Wizard, Genespin or the CTAB method, all of which produced optimal DNA yield and purity for different maize food and feed products. The samples were then screened for the presence of GM elements, along with certified reference materials. Of the food and feed samples, 8 % tested positive for the presence of one GM element (NOS terminator), of which half (4 % of the total) also contained a second element (the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter). The results obtained herein clearly demonstrate the presence of GM maize in the Turkish market, and that the Foodproof GMO Screening Kit provides reliable screening of maize food and feed products.

No abstract

The cultivation area and diversity of genetically modified (GM) crop varieties worldwide is increasing rapidly. Taking Turkey as an example of a country with tight restrictions on the import and use of GM crops but limited resources for product monitoring, we developed a cost-effective 3-tier screening protocol, and tested 110 retail food products and 13 animal feeds available in 2016-2017 for GM ingredients. No evidence was found for the presence of GM wheat or rice in the foodstuffs tested; however, 6 feeds and 3 food products containing soybean and/or maize were positive for one or more GM elements. GM events present in positive samples were identified by event-specific PCR and quantified by real-time PCR. We also compared the results with previous surveys in Turkey.Overall, we observed consistent use of GM animal feeds; however, these were not labelled as GM at the point of sale. Occasional food products also tested positive for GM ingredients, usually at low concentrations that could be attributed to accidental contamination.

This study was conducted in order to improve new synthetic varieties having high yielding ability and to observe hybrid vigor in certain agronomic traits of these synthetics. Three Syn 1s, each composed of four inbred lines, (Syn 1A, Syn 1B, Syn 1C) and one Syn 1 derived from twelve lines (Syn 1D) were formed artificially by inter-crossing. Four experimental Syn 1s, their parental mixtures (Syn O's) and two check varieties (open pollinated Vniimk-8931 and commercial hybrid Sunbred-281) were evaluated in replicated field trials under Bursa conditions without irrigation in 1995, 1996 and 1997. The rates of heterosis observed in plant height, head diameter, seed number/head, 1000-seed weight, seed weight/plant (head) and seed yield/ha were found as 11.