Comprehensive programs rely on the best of on-site and 3rd party analysis

EnviroLogix on-site strip tests for seed and grain provide rapid, quantitative results that drive real-time business decisions throughout the food production chain. However, many companies also send out to 3rd party laboratories for GMO testing in addition to the EnviroLogix GMO combs and strips they run on-site. Here are the two most common reasons we hear from customers about when a send-out test is needed:

• Processed sample testing

  Our strip tests detect GMO proteins in grain and seed based on very specific molecular structures. These structures are modified during heat and chemical processing steps, which could impact their detection. This is why strip tests are not typically recommend for GMO testing of processed materials. In addition, samples ground too finely (such as flour) can also impact strip GMO quantitation. Testing conducted by 3rd party laboratories uses PCR methods that detect GMO DNA, which remains intact in most processed materials. Although customers can rely on QuickScan results to qualify incoming grain, confirmation testing via 3rd party PCR for finished goods is commonly performed to ensure that accidental co-mingling did not occur in plants that process both non-GMO and commodity grain.

• Regulatory Requirements

  Both export and domestic certification programs (such as the Non-GMO Project), as well as grain some contracts, often require 3rd party PCR analysis. For these programs, tests conducted on-site are used for risk mitigation and may provide critical quality documentation that is supplemented by 3rd party test reports. For some regulatory programs, grain or finished goods sampling must also be conducted by a 3rd party prior to the send-out testing.

With planting well underway, harvest should be top of mind. Hopefully conditions lead to bumper crops of grain and product will be readily available to all desired markets. Making sure what you are delivering is of top quality is paramount to capturing every penny per bushel. One thing to consider is that more than one mycotoxin may be present in your product. More and more we are seeing the presence of with Vomitoxin or Aflatoxin with Fumonisin in the US.

Many producers are unaware these new threats exist for livestock; others mistakenly believe their location is not affected by toxin producing fungi. Unfortunatly reports of mycotoxins are finding them in areas where there has never been an issue previously, leaving producers to absorb docks at delivery. Ranges of concern for Fumonisin include >1 ppm for equine diets and >10 ppm for swine feed. As a point of reference, some of the corn analyzed in north-central Kansas showed Fumonisin concentrations >100ppm, with some as high as 700 ppm in 2018.

Seldom in our industry are surprises a good thing when product gets delivered.  The good news is EnviroLogix has a robust Fumonisin detection test as a part of our Common Extraction panel. If you are already testing corn for DON or Aflatoxin, Fumonisin is a simple addition. By using the common extraction protocol, you get three results in the time it used to take to get only one. Our Fumonisin assay can detect Fumonisin in Corn, Corn Flour, and DDGS between 0.2 to 7 ppm. The Fumonisin Common Extraction assay is an elegant, precise test that is going to deliver the results you need to manage your downstream risk.

Make sure your quality is buttoned up so you can maximize the benefit of your hard work.

As the market leader in on-site GMO testing, EnviroLogix has supported many uses for its GMO detection tests.

Some folks use our tests to screen commodities and feed ingredients to ensure they do not contain GMOs – this allows them to serve special sectors including export and Non-GMO certified markets.

Others use our tests to confirm that a trait that is supposed to be expressing in a leaf or seed sample is performing as intended.

Such is the case with the cotton, a unique industry that we have had the privilege to serve for nearly 20 years. It is an interesting loop system that we thought you might like to learn more about.

Here is a graphic that illustrates the steps in the process.

Starting from the top:	DID YOU KNOW?
Seed is loaded into tractors and planted	98% of cotton planted in the US is genetically modified to resist pests and herbicides
Cotton seeds sprout and grow	Cotton blossoms are beautiful but short-lived; the petals fall within 3 days, and the remaining portion is where the cotton grows
Once the plant is mature, it is harvested	Most bolls contain 4 sections, called locks; 5-lock bolls bode well for a bountiful harvest
The modules enter the gin and cotton is separated from seed, stems, etc.	The term “gin” was simply a shortening of the word “engine”
The seed is retrieved and tested	Testers can do thousands of assays in a day!
Most seeds get treated to enhance shelf life and enhance next year’s viability	Seed treatments give farmers an extra layer of risk management to protect seedlings

Then the cycle starts again; farmers and ginners working in tandem to produce amazing and wonderful cotton, the world’s most favorite fabric!

When we follow the seeds as they come out of the gin, the ones destined for planting are tested in numerous ways before being prepped for the subsequent season.  For GMOs in particular, the traits that are expected to be present need to be confirmed before being bagged and sold as the traited seed desired by the farmer.

But that only represents about 5% of the seed produced by ginning.  Seed that is not destined for planting is further processed at cottonseed crushing mills.  The seed is delinted and that fiber (“linters”) is used in a variety of paper, batting, and other specialty products (including photographic film!).  Delinted seed is de-hulled and those hulls are used to supplement animal feed and also in industrial products.

The two most valuable by-products are produced at this point.  The kernels are crushed to extract cottonseed oil (#1); and the product left after pressing, cottonseed meal; high in protein, it is a prized feed component for livestock and poultry.

We have followed the path of the cotton seed itself, but how the cotton fiber is produced by the plant and what happens when it comes out of the gin is an amazing story in itself—look for Part II, coming in the next newsletter.