Genetically Modified Crops - Farm-Scale Evaluations
Scientific Steering Committee for the GM crop farm-scale evaluations
Final advice to Ministers
21 March 2005
The Scientific Steering Committee was formed in May 1999 to oversee the ecological studies that are the farm scale evaluations. The studies have been conducted by a consortium of independent contractors made up of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Rothamsted Research and the Scottish Crop Research Institute.
The remit of The Scientific Steering Committee includes advising the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly on the outcome of the farm scale evaluations.
Today the results of the farm scale evaluation of GM herbicide-tolerant (HT) winter oilseed rape have been published in a scientific paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Winter oilseed rape was one of four crops tested in the farm scale evaluations. Results of the other three crops tested (spring-sown oilseed rape, beet and maize) were published in October 2003. The publication of the new paper, following full peer-review, provides further independent endorsement of the SSC's view that the farm scale evaluations were designed and executed to a high standard. The SSC is content that this paper has adequately addressed the null hypothesis under test: that the effect on the abundance and diversity of wildlife of the management of GM winter oilseed rape does not differ from the effect of the management of conventional winter oilseed rape. The null hypothesis was rejected.
The herbicide regime used on the GMHT crops in the experiments was that recommended by SCIMAC to obtain good weed control. Although this resulted in the same overall density of weeds as in the conventional winter oilseed rape, there were fewer broad-leaved weeds in the GMHT crops and more grass weeds. Flowers of broad-leaved weeds provide food for insects, and fewer bees and butterflies were found in the GMHT winter oilseed rape crop compared to conventional winter oilseed rape. In contrast, more springtails (small insects which feed generally on rotting plant material) were found in the GMHT crop. Seeds produced by weeds are an important food source for wildlife, those from broad-leaved weeds featuring strongly in the diet of farmland birds. Seed numbers of broad-leaved weeds were lower and numbers of grass seeds were higher in the GMHT winter oilseed rape. Fewer differences between GMHT and conventional winter oilseed rape were found in the number of insects and other invertebrates compared to the other three crops studied in the farm scale evaluations.
It is not the remit of the Scientific Steering Committee to comment on the regulatory significance of these findings. However, the results will be passed to The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and both the SSC and the research team will willingly assist ACRE in their deliberations if required.
The GMHT winter oilseed rape data collected during the farm scale evaluations will be available on the internet in due course.
The SSC would like to congratulate the research consortium on the successful completion of this last stage of the farm scale evaluations.
It is the view of the SSC members that, following the publication of this paper, they have now discharged in full their obligations. The SSC recommend that the committee should be wound up immediately.
Signed:
Professor Christopher Pollock (Chairman), IGER
Dr Nicholas Aebischer, Game Conservancy Trust
Dr Alastair Burn, English Nature
Professor Mick Crawley, Imperial College
Dr David Gibbons, RSPB
Mr Jim Orson, Morley Research Centre
Dr Nick Sotherton, Game Conservancy Trust
Page last modified
10 May, 2008
Page published 21 March 2005