Compositional Variability in Conventional and Glyphosate-Tolerant Soybean (Glycine max L.) Varieties Grown in Different Regions in Brazil

Abstract

The compositions of a diverse range of commercially available conventional and genetically modified (GM; glyphosate-tolerant) soybean varieties from maturity groups 8 and 5, respectively, grown in the northern and southern soybean regions of Brazil during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 growing seasons were compared. Compositional analyses included measurement of essential macro- and micronutrients, antinutrients, and selected secondary metabolites in harvested seed as well as measurement of proximates in both forage and harvested seed. Statistical comparisons utilized a mixed analysis of variance model to evaluate the relative contributions of growing season, soybean growing region, production site, phenotype (GM or conventional), and variety. The study highlighted extensive variability in the overall data set particularly for components such as fatty acids, vitamin E, and isoflavones. There were few differences between the GM and non-GM populations, and most of the variability in the data set could be attributed to regional and variety differences. Overall, the results were consistent with the expanding literature on the lack of any meaningful impact of transgene insertion on crop composition.

Effects of Transgenic Soybean and Organic Soybean on Rat Penis Morphology during the Aging Process

“…The secondary metabolites of TS and OS are not different (Zhou et al, 2011). However, Lappé et al reported lower levels of phytoestrogens in TS than in OS.…”

Glyphosate Tolerant Soybean Response to Different Management Systems

“…Changes to other physiological mechanisms, such as photosynthesis and other biosynthetic processes leading to biomass accumulation result from glyphosate use and directly affect soybean yield components (Zobiole et al, 2010d. The presence of any symptom is clear related to the glyphosate application, as GMOs proved to have the same compositional variability as conventional soybean in different regions in Brazil (Zhou et al, 2011).…”

Phytoestrogens in foods on the Nordic market

“…These programs have involved measurement of key components such as isoflavones from different 40-3-2 varieties (the event crossed into various commercial genetic backgrounds of different maturity classes) grown across diverse geographical regions. McCann et al (2005) and Zhou et al (2011a) Because it is typical for nutrients and anti-nutrients in crops to vary depending on variety (genetic background), the environmental conditions and cultivation method used (Setchell & Cole, 2003;De Mejia et al, 2003;Zhou et al, 2011b), and the glyphosate-tolerant and control soybeans in these studies were not matched for genetic background and were grown under different environmental conditions (not grown at the same field trial site during the same season), the studies were not appropriately designed to compare whether the introduction of the glyphosate tolerant trait in the soybean had resulted in altered levels of isoflavones. Nevertheless, the study indicates that the isoflavone composition of commercialised glyphosate-tolerant soybeans over several years of breeding into multiple genetic backgrounds remains substantially equivalent to that of conventional soybeans.…”

“…It was noted that the magnitude of the differences for daidzein and glycitein was very small (7.5-10.6% relative to the control), that the level of genistein did not differ, and that all values were within the range normally observed in conventional soybeans (subsection Conventional soybeans in section 3.1.7 Isoflavones in legumes). An extensive variation in isoflavone levels was demonstrated in a study performed in two regions of Brazil over two growing seasons (Zhou et al, 2011b). This study evaluated the relative contribution of growing season, growing region, phenotype (glyphosate tolerance due to the MON 89788 event vs. sensitivity), and genotype (genetic background of cultivar) on variability.…”