GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluations: Fact Sheets
Observation of birds on the Farm Scale Evaluations Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant crop fields - an add-on study for DETR by The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
Project Description
- The Farm Scale Evaluations were set up to investigate the effects of herbicide tolerant (GM-HT) crop management on farmland wildlife (including birds). English Nature and the other statutory nature conservation bodies were specifically concerned about the continuing impact of farming practices on farmland wildlife. It was suggested that GM-HT crops could exacerbate wildlife declines if they encouraged higher levels of weed control than necessary, which in turn would reduce invertebrate and hence bird numbers. A full description of the Farm Scale Evaluations of GM-HT crops can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/fse/index.htm.
- However, the design of the Farm Scale Evaluations had to take into account the fact that the areas of GM-HT crops that could be released for research purposes under the constraints of Directive 90/220 (which controls the release of GM crops) would be relatively small.
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and other farmland bird research organisations advised that the areas of these experimental fields would probably be too small to allow collection of meaningful information on bird behaviour by direct methods.
- Leading bird research organisations such as the RSPB and The Game Conservancy Trust advised that a scientifically valid approach, given the limitations imposed by the small field size, would be to study the effects on weeds and insects of the GM-HT crop management/herbicide systems. Results from this study could then be fed into a statistical model to predict the effects on farmland birds, since birds depend on weeds and insects as food resources.
- The Farm Scale Evaluations are the largest and most comprehensive ecological experiment of their type, and will provide more information on the effects of herbicides on weed management and wildlife than any previous or contemporary study in the UK. The design and conduct of the Farm Scale Evaluations are overseen by a Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). This is made up of independent experts in statistical analysis, ecology and agriculture, which includes academics and scientists from universities, research institutes, The RSPB, The Game Conservancy Trust and English Nature. The research is carried out independently for the Government by leading independent ecologists, led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
- Despite the advice of RSPB and others outlined above, the design of the Farm Scale Evaluation research was criticised by various organisations that claimed it should include direct monitoring of bird activity. In response to this, (the then) DETR contracted The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to carry out a one year study to see if the initial view that the experimental fields were relatively too few in number and too small in size for scientifically valid direct bird observation was correct.
- The BTO was contracted in April 2000 to monitor the Farm Scale Evaluation fields for birds and to use a statistical power analysis to estimate how many of the sites would be needed to give reliable information about the way birds were behaving. BTO presented their preliminary results to the SSC at its meeting on 9 February 2001. BTO's final report is due for submission to DETR by 31 May 2001 and will be reviewed by the SSC.
- In reviewing the study, the SSC will referee the protocols, the analysis
of statistical power that BTO has carried out and the results of the
study. The SSC will advise DETR on the findings of the study and whether
there is scope for extension of the project research during the course
of the Farm Scale Evaluation programme.
Page published 31 July
2001;
Page last modified
10 August, 2002