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GM Crop Farm Scale Evaluations:
Scientific Steering Committee Minutes

1 November 2001

Attending

Members:

Prof. Chris Pollock (Chairman) (IGER)

Dr Nicholas Aebischer (GCT)

Dr Alastair Burn (EN)

Prof. Mick Crawley (Imperial College)

Dr David Gibbons (RSPB)

Mr Jim Orson (Morley Research Centre)

Dr Nick Sotherton (GCT)

Secretariat:

Dr Linda Smith (Defra)

Dr Andrew Wakeham-Dawson (Defra) (Secretary)

Miss Glenda Townsend (Defra)

Assessors:

Mr Derek Bearhop (SE)

Dr Roger Turner (SCIMAC)

Contractors:

Dr Les Firbank (CEH)

Prof. Joe Perry (IACR)

Miss Zoe Randle (CEH)

Summary

The Scientific Steering Committee overseeing the Farm Scale Evaluations of GMHT crops met at 10.30 am on Thursday 1 November 2001 at Defra, Ashdown House, Victoria Street, London.

The Scientific Steering Committee provided the following advice to Ministers on the progress of the research, proposed number and distribution of Farm Scale Evaluation sites, and timetable of events for the spring 2002 round of the programme

• The Scientific Steering Committee has reviewed the progress of the Farm Scale Evaluation research, and the number and distribution of sites recommended by the Research Consortium for the spring 2002 round of the programme.
• The Scientific Steering Committee has reviewed the timetable of events for the spring 2002 round of the programme proposed to SCIMAC by Defra.
• The Scientific Steering Committee encourages SCIMAC, Defra and the Research Consortium to work together to provide these experimental resources in accordance with the agreed overall scale of the experiments.
• The Scientific Steering Committee endorses the proposed number and distribution of sites and agrees that these meet the scientific criteria of the Farm Scale Evaluation Programme. It continues to recommend aiming for between 60-75 sites of each crop type over the course of the programme in order to maximise experimental power and to allow for dropout or damage
• The Scientific Steering Committee continues to emphasise the importance of meeting its requirements with regard to adequate:
1. geographical distribution of study sites,
2. representation of less intensive production systems, and
3. Total number of study sites, to meet the original aims and objectives of the Farm Scale Evaluations.
• The Scientific Steering Committee welcomes the opportunities for improved dialogue stemming from the AEBC's report on the Farm Scale Evaluations programme; and endorses the proposed timetable of events for the spring 2002 round of the Farm Scale Evaluations. However, the Committee advises that the timetable should remain sufficiently flexible to support the range of normal agronomic practices associated with the cultivation of the crops.

There were no apologies for absence.

Minutes of last meeting

The minutes of the last Scientific Steering Committee meeting (6 July 2001) were formally approved and all matters arising were addressed in the agenda of the current meeting.

Implications of the AEBC report for the Farm Scale Evaluations

The Scientific Steering Committee discussed the implications of the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology's report on the Farm Scale Evaluations. The report is entitled 'GM crops on trial' and was published on 10 September 2001. The Scientific Steering Committee welcomed the firm recommendation from AEBC that the Farm Scale Evaluations should continue to provide the valuable data needed to inform the debate on the environmental effects of managing transgenic herbicide tolerant crops.

The Scientific Steering Committee also welcomed the opportunity provided by the AEBC's report to promote dialogue about GM crops and to provide greater opportunity to address public concerns about the technology. However, the Scientific Steering Committee stressed that the notification process should not be allowed to affect the scientific integrity of the research by constraining good agronomic practice at the Evaluation sites.

The Scientific Steering Committee reviewed the timetable of events for the spring 2002 round of a programme proposed to SCIMAC by Defra, which takes into account AEBC recommendations. The Scientific Steering Committee advised that in theory a six week notification period should not compromise good agronomic practice, but that some flexibility in the timetable should be provided to allow late replacement sites to join the programme.

In response to the AEBC's concerns that the scope and limitations of the Farm Scale Evaluations had not always been clearly identified in Departmental statements, the Scientific Steering Committee expressed interest in raising the public profile of its own existing statement of the aims, scope and limitations of the programme.

Interim research report

The Research Consortium presented its fifth interim report to the Scientific Steering Committee and reported that research was progressing well despite the effects of the Foot and Mouth Disease crisis and some localised damage by anti-GM protestors to Farm Scale Evaluation sites. The Research Consortium further reported that there had been cases of intimidation by anti-GM protestors towards research staff and farmers hosting the experimental sites. The Scientific Steering Committee thanked the Research Consortium for its dedicated and enthusiastic approach to the research during a very trying year. The Committee further extended this thanks to SCIMAC, the farmers and others involved in the Farm Scale evaluation programme. The Scientific Steering Committee was concerned that appropriate measures were not always taken to protect research staff, farmers and sites from intimidating and disruptive activities. The Scientific Steering Committee deplored these activities, which were putting all concerned under unacceptable pressure and asked Defra to address the situation.

Proposed number and distribution of sites for spring 2002

• The Research Consortium recommended that sufficient sites should be selected for spring 2002 that allowed each crop to be replicated between 60-75 times during the course of the programme. The Consortium further recommended that at least half of sites to be sown in spring 2002 should be on farms new to the programme, and more sites should be sought in geographically under represented areas. In addition, the selection process should continue to seek to include sites that are representative of low intensity crop management. The Scientific Steering Committee endorsed the proposed number and distribution of sites and agreed that these met the scientific criteria of the Farm Scale Evaluation Programme. It recommended aiming for between 60-75 sites of each crop type over the course of the programme, with movement towards the maximum number of sites being helpful in order to maximise experimental power and to allow for dropout or damage. The Scientific Steering Committee continued to emphasise the importance of meeting its requirements with regard to adequate geographical distribution of study sites, representation of less intensive production systems, and total number of study sites, to meet the original aims and objectives of the Farm Scale Evaluations. The Committee further recommended that decisions on the number of beet fields should be based on an analysis of results in 2001, to confirm the findings of 2000 that support the consideration of fodder and sugar varieties as effectively the same crop. The Scientific Steering Committee encouraged SCIMAC, Defra and the Research Consortium to work together to provide these experimental resources in accordance with the agreed overall scale of the experiments.

Design of Farm Scale Evaluation results papers

The Scientific Steering Committee agreed with the Research Consortium an approach to the development of these papers. The Research Consortium will make initial drafts of the papers that would be circulated to relevant Scientific Steering Committee subgroups. Once the papers are nearing completion, they will be circulated to the full Scientific Steering Committee. The Scientific Steering Committee also discussed the time scale for development of the papers and additional approaches to dissemination of the Farm Scale Evaluation results. The Scientific Steering Committee agreed in principle the use of a scientific writer to provide an accurate, but non-technical account of the results for publication in parallel with the papers in scientific journals. The Research Consortium agreed to draft a time-table for preparation and submission of the papers for publication. This should take into account the need for the timing of publication to be a compromise between ensuring that results were made available as soon as possible, yet not so early that some important results (e.g. weed seed and seedling samples from crops following on from the 2002 sowings) could not be included.

AOB

• The Scientific Steering Committee has now reviewed the reports presented by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on statistical power calculations relating to the use of Farm Scale Evaluation sites by farmland birds. The Committee recommended that two changes be made to the analytical methods used, and representative members of the Scientific Steering Committee and Secretariat will be arranging to visit the BTO to discuss the analysis. The Committee agreed to consider any specifications for additional farmland bird research in Farm Scale Evaluation sites to ensure that project proposals are compatible with the design and conduct of the core research.
• The Secretariat reported that the Department has been seeking to fund research into the construction of mathematical models that could be used to improve our understanding of the relationship between food resources and farmland bird survival and productivity. The specification for this project was made available for competitive tender and the Department intends to award the contract to two consortia. It is intended that a consortium headed by The University of East Anglia will be contracted to work closely to the specification, while it is intended that a consortium headed by The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology will be contracted to research specific aspects of the tender and review the approach taken by the University of East Anglia-lead consortium. Although these models could be used to interpret Farm Scale Evaluation data, they are intended to be generic and suitable for use with a range of farming systems including conventional, Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and organic systems. The intention to fund these projects was presented to the Scientific Steering Committee for information only, as these projects lie outside the remit of the Scientific Steering Committee.
• Members of the Scientific Steering Committee raised a concern that had arisen in correspondence from members of the public. This related to the higher than conventional seed rate allowed to Aventis in its consent to plant winter oilseed rape in the Farm Scale Evaluations. The Secretariat explained that the consents allowed for higher that normal seed rates to be applied to account for variable seed weights and variable geographical germination rates. Farmers can sow higher seed rates in areas where germination success is lower, thereby ensuring comparable plant densities (between 60 and 80 plants per square metre) at all GM and non-GM Farm Scale Evaluation winter oilseed rape sites.
• Advice from the Scientific Steering Committee relating to the Farm Scale Evaluations issues has been published on Defra's web-site. This can be found at www.defra.gov.uk.environment/fse/index
• Provisionally the next meetings of the Scientific Steering Committee will be on 15 February and 17 April 2002. The meeting closed at 14.35 hours.

Minutes prepared by the Secretariat to the Scientific Steering Committee
GM Policy and Regulation Unit, Defra
Ashdown House, 123 Victoria street, London, SW1E 6DE

Page published 7 December 2001;
Page last modified 25 February, 2003

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