Genetic Use Restriction Technology

Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), colloquially known as terminator technology or suicide seeds, is the name given to proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation seeds to be sterile. The technology was developed under a cooperative research and development agreement between the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and Delta and Pine Land company in the 1990s, but it is not yet commercially available.

The technology was discussed during the 8th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba, Brazil, March 20–31, 2006.

There are conceptually two types of GURT:

Terminator seeds were initially developed as a concept by the United States Department of Agriculture and multinational seed companies. As of 2006, they had not been commercialized anywhere in the world due to opposition from farmers, indigenous peoples, NGOs, and some governments. In 2000, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity recommended a de facto moratorium on field-testing and commercial sale of terminator seeds; the moratorium was re-affirmed and the language strengthened in March 2006, at the COP8 meeting of the UNCBD.India and Brazil have passed national laws to prohibit the technology.

Where effective intellectual monopoly, specifically biological patents, doesn't exist or is not enforced, GURTs could be an alternative to stimulate plant developing activities by biotech firms.

Non-viable seeds produced on V-GURT plants may reduce the propagation of volunteer plants. Volunteer plants can become an economic problem for larger-scale mechanized farming systems that incorporate crop rotation.

Under warm, wet harvest conditions non V-GURT grain can sprout, which lowers the quality of grain produced. It is likely that this problem would not occur with the use of V-GURT grain varieties.

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