(NDAGCONNECTION) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Monday announced that it is deregulating a soybean variety developed by BASF Corporation using genetic engineering. The variety, designated as GMB 151, was developed to resist soybean cyst nematode, a microscopic parasitic worm, and for herbicide resistance.

As part of the petition process, APHIS prepared a draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) and draft environmental assessment (EA) and made these documents available for a 30-day public review and comment period on August 17, 2021.

APHIS considered all public comments and conducted a thorough review of the potential environmental impacts in its final EA pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reaching a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).

APHIS concluded in its final PPRA that the GMB 151 soybean variety is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agricultural crops or other plants in the United States and is deregulating it effective March 9, 2022. The final EA, final PPRA, FONSI, and regulatory determination are available on the News page of the APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services website.