<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dietary exposure</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">ASR368 creeping bentgrass is intended solely for the production of turfgrass in golf courses, and is not expected to be grown as forage. Some of the vegetation left over from seed production could be used as animal feed. The use of this forage would be very limited, however, since the nutritional value is very poor at such an advanced growth stage.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Nutritional and Compositional Data</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The nutritional components of ASR368 forage were determined analytically and compared to those of the parental line B99061R, and seven commercial creeping bentgrass cultivars, grown at four locations. Forage samples were analyzed for proximates (crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash, and moisture), acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc). No significant differences in any of the nutritional parameters were found between ASR368, the parental line, and the conventional cultivars, when averaged over all locations. There were significantly higher levels of moisture and phosphorus at two sites, and significantly lower levels neutral detergent fibre at another site, for ASR368 compared to its parental line. These differences would be attributable to location rather than genotype effects. Overall, the values of the nutritional components in ASR368 were within the range determined for the commercial cultivars</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Toxicity and Allergenicity</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The potential for toxicity and allergenicity of the novel protein CP4 EPSPS in ASR368 was investigated using the following data and information: the history of safe consumption of this protein by humans and animals; results from the determination of amino acid sequence similarity between the CP4 EPSPS protein and known toxins and allergens; analysis of the stability the novel protein in simulated gastric fluids; results from an acute oral toxicity study in mice fed CP4 EPSPS protein.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The results of database searches for amino acid sequence similarity between CP4 EPSPS and known toxins and allergens were negative; CP4EPSPS was rapidly digested under simulated gastric fluid conditions; and no adverse effects were observed when mice were fed the highest dose in acute oral toxicity studies. The results of these studies, along with history of safe consumption of CP4 EPSPS, led to the conclusion that ASR368 is not more toxic or allergenic than conventional creeping bentgrass cultivars.</p>
