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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Production Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351896
Title: Glyphosate resistance technology has minimal or no effect on maize mineral content and yield

Author
item Reddy, Krishna
item CIZDZIEL, JAMES - University Of Mississippi
item Williams, Martin
item Maul, Jude
item Rimando, Agnes
item Duke, Stephen

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/2018
Publication Date: 9/11/2018
Citation: Reddy, K.N., Cizdziel, J.V., Williams, M., Maul, J.E., Rimando, A.M., Duke, S.O. 2018. Glyphosate resistance technology has minimal or no effect on maize mineral content and yield. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 66:10139-10146. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs/jafc.8b01655.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs/jafc.8b01655

Interpretive Summary: There has been controversy over whether glyphosate affects mineral nutrition of glyphosate-resistant crops. Scientists from USDA-ARS, Crop Production Systems Research Unit, Stoneville, Mississippi; Global Change and Photosynthesis Research unit, Urbana, Illinois; Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland; Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, University, Mississippi; and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi have conducted field studies to address whether the glyphosate resistance transgene, glyphosate use on GR maize, and glyphosate use history in a field affect mineral nutrition and yield of maize. The results of 2-yr field studies indicated that neither the glyphosate resistance gene nor glyphosate, whether used for a single year or multiple years, has no adverse effect on yield or mineral nutrition of glyphosate-resistant maize.

Technical Abstract: Some controversy continues to exist as to whether the glyphosate resistance gene and/or glyphosate applied to glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops affect their mineral content. Previous research has shown GR technology does not affect GR soybean mineral content, however studies in GR maize are lacking. A two-year field study (2013 and 2014) in Stoneville, MS and Urbana, IL examined this issue. There were no effects of glyphosate or the GR transgene on yield or mineral content of leaves or seed at either location. In both locations, there was no effect of field crop history (for a field with both no history of glyphosate use versus one with a long history of glyphosate use) on grain yield or mineral content. Yield was not compromised by glyphosate, the glyphosate resistance gene, or prolonged history of glyphosate use in the field. Glyphosate and lower levels of its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were found in leaves that were sampled for mineral content, but little or no glyphosate or AMPA was found in seeds. These results indicate that the glyphosate resistance gene and glyphosate, whether used for a single year or multiple years, have no adverse effect on mineral nutrition or yield of GR maize.