Precision breeding release notice (reference: PBR/26/007)
Published 17 July 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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Information provided to the Secretary of State alongside a notice of intention to release a precision bred plant under schedule 1 of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025.
1. Name and address of the person proposing to release the precision bred plant
KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA, Grimsehlstrasse 31, 37574 Einbeck, Germany
2. Description of others assisting in the release of the precision bred plant
Conduction of field trial activities in England by KWS UK Ltd., Royston, Cambridgeshire, a 100% subsidiary of KWS SAAT.
3. General description of the precision bred plant
a) Genus and species
Brassica napus
b) Intended alterations to characteristics of the plant
The introduced genetic changes are intended to increase tolerance to insects. Here, the effect on damage caused by cabbage stem flea beetle will be evaluated under field conditions.
c) Types of genetic changes introduced to cause these alterations
CRISPR/Cas mediated gene knockouts via SDN-1 mutations in three individual genes are achieved by small and random insertions and deletions (indels) or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) resulting from DNA double-strand breaks and the cell’s own repair mechanisms (known as Non-Homologous End Joining - NHEJ).
The three different target genes are targeted individually in separate lines and not in combination with each other.
The targeted genes are supposed to be involved in general stress response pathways, phytohormone signal transduction, and cell-wall structure. The knock-out of the genes is expected to prime the plants for defending damage induced by insects.
The effect of the gene knock-out on the trait of interest as specified in 4(b) should be evaluated under field conditions.
d) Techniques of modern biotechnology used to make these genetic changes
CRISPR/Cas technology was used by transiently introducing a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex consisting of a Cas protein and a guideRNA specific for the respective target gene in cells of Brassica napus. The introduced Cas protein, guided by the RNA, resulted in a site-specific double-strand break of the host DNA which was consequently repaired by the cell’s own repair mechanism (NHEJ). No foreign DNA was used during the development of the plants. Introduced proteins and RNAs are degraded in cells. The cells were cultivated in-vitro and regenerated into individual plantlets. From regenerated plants, specific lines were selected and analysed using molecular methods to determine they meet the criteria for precision bred organisms as outlined in The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.
4. Confirmation: preventing marketing
The person with overall responsibility for the release must confirm they will put in place any necessary appropriate measures to prevent material from the precision bred plant being marketed until such time as a precision bred confirmation is issued in respect of the plant.
Confirmed
5. Confirmation: meeting precision breeding criteria
The person with overall responsibility for the release must confirm they have assessed that all plants covered by the release notice meet the criteria for a precision bred organism as set out in section 1 (2) of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.
Confirmed