GM Crop Farm Scale Evaluations:
Scientific Steering Committee Minutes
March 10th 2000
| Attending: | Members: | Professor Chris Pollock (chair) (IGER) Dr Nicholas Aebischer (GCT) Dr Alastair Burn (EN) Dr David Gibbons (RSPB) Mr Jim Orson (Morley Research Centre) |
| Secretariat: | Dr Linda Smith (DETR) Dr Andrew Wakeham-Dawson (DETR) |
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| Assessors: | Mr Dave Bench (MAFF) Dr Emma Hennessey (MAFF) Dr Roger Turner (SCIMAC) Dr Toby Willison (SERAD) |
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| Contractors: | Dr Les Firbank (ITE) Dr Alan Dewar (IACR) Mr Mike May (IACR) Professor Joe Perry (IACR) Dr Peter Rothery (ITE) Dr Geoff Squire (SCRI) Dr Matt Heard (ITE) |
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| SCIMAC representatives: (Pesticide Advice agenda item only): |
Dr Michael Carroll (MONSANTO) Dr Judith Jordan (AVENTIS) Dr Colin Merritt (MONSANTO) |
Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Professor Mick Crawley (Imperial College) and Dr Brian Johnson (EN).
Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting (8 February 2000) have already been approved and are publicly available on the Farm-Scale Evaluations (FSE) web-site.
Update on current situation
The Secretariat and the Chairman outlined the main reasons for holding this meeting. These were:
- to discuss the Research Consortium's most recent draft interim report of 3 March 2000, in order to assess where progress has been made in design of research protocols and to agree what further advice was needed from the SSC;
- to assess progress on the selection of experimental sites;
- to discuss with SCIMAC the provision of advice to farmers managing genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops and to be assured that the aims of the procedure were to ensure cost-effective weed control;
- to provide advice to Ministers on the status of the FSE.
Draft interim report
The Research Consortium introduced their draft interim report of 3 March 2000. This contained a detailed account of their proposed experimental protocols for the spring-planted FSE crops that reflect the detailed discussions held at the autumn meeting (11 October 1999). The Committee reviewed and discussed in detail the protocols for vegetation, seed bank, weed, and arthropod sampling. In relation to the last of these, it was agreed that additional pitfall traps should be set adjacent to the field margins, but that the samples from the additional traps should be retained for subsequent analysis if deemed appropriate, rather than being analysed as a matter of course. In addition, the Committee requested that the protocol for gastropod sampling be finalised by the contractors no later than May 2000. The Committee then agreed to the publication of the interim report, once the experimental protocols had been refined.
Site selection issues
The Research Consortium presented the farms that they have selected from those offered by SCIMAC, together with an analysis of a number of measures of the type of farm and its practices, management intensity and biodiversity. SCIMAC has found a significant number of additional potential experimental sites since the last meeting. This has provided the contractors with a number of sites that exceeded the minimum stipulated by the Committee at the last meeting (12-15 for maize and spring oil-seed rape, 20 for beet).
The Committee considered the distribution, farm type and number of sites for each crop submitted by SCIMAC and selected by the contractors and has agreed that there is sufficient to allow all the studies to proceed into the first year of the substantive trials. However, the Committee continued to emphasise the importance of seeking further suitable sites for this year and of meeting its requirements in subsequent years with regard to adequate geographical distribution of study sites, representation of less intensive production systems, and total number of study sites. These considerations are necessary to meet the original aims and objectives of the Farm Scale Evaluations.
Pesticide advice
SCIMAC presented its proposed detailed advice for the cultivation and weed control of herbicide-tolerant GM crops to the Committee.
SCIMAC will not offer advice to farmers on management of the non-GM part of experimental fields. This will be carried out by the farmer's own adviser and recorded in detail, as is required under pesticide usage regulation.
SCIMAC will provide advice through an agronomist to farmers about herbicide and related management for the GMHT crops. The agronomist will make a recommendation about the application rate and timing of the herbicide to provide cost-effective weed control. SCIMAC will provide draft detailed herbicide application information in addition to the label on the herbicide container, and provide the necessary amount of the herbicide to the farmers.
Farmers will provide their rationale for recommended herbicide usage in non-GM part of each study fields. SCIMAC's agronomist will provide their rationale for recommended herbicide usage in the GM part of each study field. Farmers will provide a report of actual herbicide use in both GM and non-GM parts of each study field. All this information will be submitted to the Research Consortium, thereby allowing a comparison of agronomist's advice with actual herbicide usage and thus substantiating whether or not cost-effective weed control has been met.
The Committee considered the proposed procedure for detailed agronomic advice for the cultivation and weed control of herbicide-tolerant GM crops provided by SCIMAC, and was satisfied that the proposed procedure is appropriate for cost-effective weed control that can be audited.
Advice to Ministers
The Committee drafted the following statement as advice to Ministers regarding the FSE:
• The Committee has reviewed and agreed the experimental protocols for all the spring-planted crops.• The Committee has considered the distribution and number of sites for each crop submitted by SCIMAC and selected by the contractors and has agreed that there is sufficient to allow all the studies to proceed into the first year of the substantive trials.
• The Committee continued to emphasise the importance of meeting its requirements in subsequent years with regard to adequate:
- geographical distribution of study sites,
- representation of less intensive production systems, and
- total number of study sites
• The Committee has considered the proposed procedure for detailed agronomic advice provided by SCIMAC for the cultivation and weed control of herbicide-tolerant GM crops and is satisfied that the procedure is appropriate for cost-effective weed control that can be audited.
Further Action
Associated research:
The Secretariat summarised the situation with regard to research projects associated with the FSE. Three proposals have been received in response to the project specification for 'Gene Flow Monitoring from GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluation Field Sites'. A single proposal has been received in response to the project specification for 'Effect of GM Herbicide-tolerant Crop Management on Farmland Birds and Mammals'. These proposals are currently under review.
Committee contacts with the Press:
The Committee agreed to use the information contained in the minutes when briefing the Press in matters relating to the FSE. The Chairman reminded the Committee members that they are not required to answer questions from the Press related to the FSE, and that they are free to pass any contacts to him for action.
Any other business
The Chairman has received a request concerning potential Cauliflower Mosaic Virus research in GM FSE study sites. The Committee agreed that the research could go ahead subject to the Chairman being supplied with more detailed protocols from the study team.
Criteria for selection of Winter Oilseed Rape sites by the Research Consortium will be sent out by post to the Committee.
Next meeting
To be arranged.There being no other business, the meeting closed at 16:30 hours
Minutes prepared by the Secretariat to the Scientific Steering Committee.
Biotechnology Safety Unit, DETR
Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE
Page published 31 March
2000;
Page last modified
25 February, 2003