Foreign media: Is China considering the commercialization of genetically modified corn to solve the supply problem? China responded

The New Office of the State Council held a press conference on the operation of the agricultural and rural economy in 2021

The Information Office of the State Council held a press conference at 3 p.m. today, and Zeng Yande, chief agronomist and director of the Department of Development Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, introduced the operation of the agricultural and rural economy in 2021 and answered reporters' questions. The following is a transcript of the relevant content:

Reuters reporter:

There are two problems. First, China will expand soybean production in 2022, which is an important political task. However, in the main soybean and corn producing areas, farmers often choose between the two crops, how to ensure that the soybean area increases while the corn planting area does not decrease, whether the government considers the commercialization of genetically modified corn to solve the corresponding corn supply problem. The second question is about wheat, because wheat will be infected with vomitoxin, and the rainy season will lead to the late sowing of wheat in the new season, can you tell us about this year's wheat planting? Will this year's wheat production be affected? Thank you.

Zeng Yande:

Thank you for your question, the first question I will answer first, and the second question is for director Pan Wenbo of the Plantation Division. Thank you for your attention to the issue of genetic modification. To solve the problem of China's agricultural product supply, soybeans are a very important variety, from the perspective of transgenics, agricultural transgenic technology is an important aspect of the new generation of biological breeding technology, but also the most mature and widely used new technology.

Regarding the application of GMOs in China, I would like to introduce you to three points.

First, genetically modified breeding is scientifically rigorous. In the field of agricultural transgenics, the mainland has established a set of independent research and development systems and biosecurity guarantee systems, and obtained a number of new strains with independent intellectual property rights and industrial application prospects, such as insect-resistant herbicide corn and herbicide-resistant soybeans.

Second, the management of genetically modified varieties is strictly regulated. Agricultural genetically modified organisms can only obtain safety certificates after passing scientific and legal evaluations. At the same time, it is necessary to carry out variety verification and obtain seed production and operation licenses in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Seed Law before production and planting can be produced.

Third, the pilot project of industrial application of transgenic varieties was carried out in an orderly manner. In order to solve the problems of grassland moth and grass pests currently faced in agricultural production, last year we carried out an industrialization pilot project of herbicide-tolerant transgenic soybeans and insect-resistant herbicide transgenic corn that have obtained production and application safety certificates, and the progress is relatively good. We talk about it better, at least three points can be shown: First, the pilot transgenic varieties have excellent characteristics and obvious advantages in cost saving and efficiency. The weeding effect of genetically modified soybeans is more than 95%, which can reduce the cost of weeding by 50% and increase yield by 12%. The control effect of genetically modified corn on the grassland nightcrawler can reach 95%, which greatly reduces the cost of insect control. At the same time, the content of mycotoxins in the grains of genetically modified corn is low and the quality is good. Second, the pilot of genetically modified soybeans and corn has no adverse effects on the production environment. Growing genetically modified maize reduces pesticide use and promotes biodiversity. The third is to implement the management of "unified seed supply, unified acquisition, and unified technical specifications" on a pilot basis, and regularly carry out inspection guidance and supervision and inspection to strictly prevent illegal proliferation.

At present, we are revising the regulations of four departments, including the Measures for the Approval of Major Crop Varieties, to clarify the relevant provisions on the industrialization and application of genetically modified crops. We will work with relevant departments to continue to promote the industrialization of genetically modified organisms in a sound and orderly manner based on the principles of respecting science, strict supervision, compliance with laws and regulations, and ensuring safety, and promote the high-quality development of the seed industry. Thank you.

Pan Wenbo:

To supplement the problem you just mentioned about an increase in soybean area and a decrease in corn area. Soybeans and corn are dryland crops, one is legumes, the other is a grass family, under the condition of abundant cultivated land resources, the interannual rotation of the two crops is conducive to planting land and raising land, and is conducive to high yield and stable yield, but in the case of limited cultivated land resources, the two crops have the contradiction of competing for land, which is a practical problem and a problem. In order to promote the compatible development, coordinated development, and even mutual development of corn and soybeans, so that fish and bear paws can be obtained, now we must make a fuss about both incremental, and find ways in the farming system and planting mode. In recent years, various localities have carried out useful explorations and achieved gratifying results.

For example, since 2003, our ministry has organized a pilot project of soybean and corn strip composite planting, through changing the planting of single crops to high and low crops with inter-crop, changing the planting of equal rows to large and small ridge planting, changing crop continuous planting to inter-annual rotation, integrating the traditional inter-cropping technology with mechanized and standardized planting, so as to efficiently use light and temperature resources and give full play to the advantages of the side line. For example, two rows of corn between the four rows of soybeans, farmers say that the corn line is a side row, the plant is a single plant, the ventilation and light transmission conditions are very good, the corn basically does not reduce production, and the income is increased by one season of soybeans. For example, in 2021, the belt composite planting in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, the average spring corn yield of one mu of land can reach 802 kg, and the spring soybean yield of the set can reach 91 kg; the belt composite planting in Gaocheng, Hebei Province, the average summer corn of 1 mu of land can reach 517 kg, and the summer soybean can reach 102 kg. The average yield of soybeans in the country is about 130 kg. So the corn did not decrease, and an extra crop of soybeans was harvested.

According to our statistics, the national soybean and corn strip compound planting area in 2021 has reached more than 7 million mu, so this model has now basically matured. In the next step, we will further improve and improve the suitable varieties, suitable machinery, suitable herbicides, etc., to maximize the potential of this model. This is the most important technical measure promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs this year in expanding the production of soybean oilseeds. We strive to add 15 million mu of new area this year.

Just now you also mentioned the problem of wheat vomiting toxin, and also mentioned the problem of wheat production this year. The quality of wheat harvested in the summer last year was generally good, and the quality of wheat was affected by various factors such as pests and diseases, weather conditions during the harvest period, and so on. Last year, wheat stripe rust, red mildew prevention and control in a timely manner, good prevention and control effect, plus the middle and late weather is good for filling maturity, there is no "rotten rain", the overall quality of wheat is good. The proportion of first-class wheat in the main producing area of Anhui is more than 85%, and the market response can also be reflected, and the acquisition enthusiasm of processing enterprises is high and the purchase price is good. However, some areas along the river are the nests of wheat gibberellosis, that is, the perennial gibberellosis in these areas is relatively heavy, mainly affected by the local rainy and humid climate. Gibberellosis is severe, and vomitin may be more abundant. The area we monitored last year with a panicle rate of more than 30 percent of gibberellosis in this area was about 1 million mu, accounting for about 0.3 percent of the country's wheat area. This part of the wheat is basically a targeted purchase, mainly used for processing industrial alcohol, and has not entered the edible or feeding process.

With regard to this year's wheat production, there was a very serious autumn flood in the winter wheat area last year, and the wheat sowing period was generally delayed. The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to it, and have promptly introduced targeted support policies, and various localities have taken extraordinary measures to go all out to grasp the autumn and winter plantings. According to the agricultural situation dispatch, although the sowing period of winter wheat is a little late, the area is basically implemented and basically stable. Grassroots comrades said that most of this year's wheat has been able to sow at full length, especially some dryland wheat that cannot be sown all year round has also been sown this year, and the seedlings are better, and the sowing of late wheat plots has increased the sowing volume. The temperature in November and December this year is generally high, so the pre-winter temperature is more, and the wheat grows better than expected before winter. At present, the main problem is that the proportion of late-sown wheat is relatively large, and the growth of seedlings before winter is indeed weak. According to expert analysis, the growth period of wheat is relatively long, there is a lot of room for maneuver, in the past there were also times when the sowing period was delayed, as long as the sowing was carried out before winter, the management measures after the opening of spring could keep up, and there was still hope for a bumper harvest.