The maize (Zea mays) was produced through cross‑breeding of modified parental varieties SYN-BTØ11-1, SYN-IR162-4, SYN-ØØØ98-3, DP-ØØ4114-3 and MON-ØØ6Ø3-6.
Maize SYN-BTØ11-1 was modified for resistance to the Lepidoptera insect European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides. To achieve resistance to the European corn borer, the maize expresses cry1Ab gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, which have a pore forming mode-of-action in the epithelial lining of feeding larvae; cry1Ab produces a crystal delta-endotoxin that binds to specific midgut receptors in the insect larva, forming pores that disrupt osmotic balance and cause fatal cell lysis. To achieve resistance to glufosinate, the maize expresses the gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes encoding phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase encoding gene, which inactivates the active compound L-phosphinothricin through acetylation of the primary amino group.
Maize SYN-IR162-4 was modified for resistance against lepidopteran insect pests including fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), true armyworm (Pseudaletia unipuncta), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), western bean cutworm (Striacosta albicosta). The LM maize was also modified to express a selectable marker. To achieve resistance against lepidopteran insects, the maize expresses the vegetative insecticidal protein gene (vip3Aa20), a variant of the native vip3Aa gene isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis strain AB88, which is secreted during the vegetative growth phase of the bacterium; Vip3Aa20 is a vegetative insecticidal protein that binds to specific midgut receptors distinct from those recognized by Cry proteins, disrupts the integrity of epithelial cell membranes, and ultimately causes gut paralysis and death of the feeding larvae. For the selection marker, the maize expresses the manA gene from Escherichia coli, which encodes for phosphomannose isomerase.

Maize SYN-ØØØ98-3 was modified for resistance against coleopteran insects, particularly western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera), northern corn rootworm (Diabrotica berberi), and Mexican corn rootworm (Diabrotica vigifera zeae). The LM maize was also modified for tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides and used as a marker selection for transformants. To achieve resistance against coleopteran pests, the maize expresses the eCry3.1Ab and mCry3A genes which have a pore forming mode-of-action in the epithelial lining of feeding larvae; eCry3.1Ab and mCry3A produce a crystal delta-endotoxin that binds to specific midgut receptors in the insect larva, forming pores that disrupt osmotic balance and cause fatal cell lysis. For the selectable marker, to achieve tolerance to glufosinate, the maize expresses expresses the gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes encoding phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase, which inactivates the active compound L-phosphinothricin through acetylation of the primary amino group.

Maize DP-ØØ4114-3 was modified for resistance to lepidoptera, including European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), and coleoptera insect pests including corn rootworm pests, such as the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera), and tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicide. To achieve resistance to lepidopteran insects, the maize expresses the cryIF gene from Bacillus thuringiensis. To achieve resistance to coleopteran insects, the maize expresses the cry34Ab1 and cry35Ab1 genes from Bacillus thuringiensis. The cry genes have a pore forming mode-of-action in the epithelial lining of feeding larvae; they produce a crystal delta-endotoxin that binds to specific midgut receptors in the insect larva, forming pores that disrupt osmotic balance and cause fatal cell lysis. To achieve glufosinate tolerance, the maize expresses the gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes encoding phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase, which inactivates the active compound L-phosphinothricin through acetylation of the primary amino group.
Maize MON-ØØ6Ø3-6 was modified for tolerance to glyphosate herbicides. To achieve glyphosate tolerance, the maize expresses enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, encoded by the cp4 epsps gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4, which has reduced binding affinity for glyphosate and allows continued synthesis of aromatic amino acids through the shikimate pathway in the presence of the herbicide.