GM
Crop Farm Scale Evaluations:
Scientific Steering Committee Advice
Advice of the SSC on the impact on the ecological studies of unexpected transformation events in GM oilseed rape sown as part of the FSEs
29 August 2002
On 12 August the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) for the farm-scale evaluations (FSE) were asked for advice on information in a letter from Aventis (dated 2 August) stating that spring oil seed rape seed grown as part of the FSEs contained genetic transformation events additional to those originally notified in the consents. The seed containing the additional transformation events was sown on 14 sites in spring 2002. In the past the same seed batch has been used in FSE sites in 1999 and 2000.
The additional transformation events present in some seed mean that the seed, in addition to tolerance of the herbicide Glufosinate ammonium, are resistant to the antibiotics neomycin and kanamycin.
ACRE have advised that the presence of the additional transformation events did not pose any additional risks to human health or the environment. In the light of this and the imminent harvest of the trials, ACRE advised that the currently growing plants should be harvested on a date that would minimise seed shed, and that no changes to the conditions of the consents concerning post-harvest monitoring were required. ACRE's advice in full is available at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/advice10.htm
The ecological studies in the farm-scale evaluations are investigating the impact of the management of genetically modified herbicide tolerant beet, maize winter and spring oil seed rape in comparison with non-GM equivalents (for further information see www.defra.gov.uk/environment/fse). The management of fields has been unaffected by this incident. The unexpected transformation events present in some seed were in addition to the genes conferring tolerance to Glufosinate ammonium. As all material was equally tolerant to the herbicide the reaction of the plants to the management was unchanged. The presence of anti-biotic resistance in some plants would have conferred no advantage under normal agricultural conditions.
The SSC oversee the ecological studies being undertaken as part of the farm-scale evaluations (further information at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/fse). The SSC were asked to advice on whether the presence of the additional transformations in some seed could have affected the scientific validity of these studies. Via an email discussion the SSC have prepared the following advice.
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The SSC, in agreement with ACRE, are disappointed to be informed that unexpected transformation events had been present in oil seed rape seed used in the farm scale evaluations over a number of years without detection. The SSC have considered carefully the impact of the presence of unexpected transformation events on the ecological studies being conducted, including the data already collected. The purpose of the farm-scale evaluations are to investigate the impact of the management of herbicide tolerant GM crops in comparison with non-GM equivalents. The presence of unexpected transformation events in some oil seed rape seed would only affect the data collected if it had resulted in different management, or if the oil seed rape in question behaved differently in its response to the management or in its relationship to other organisms. Given assurances that all GM material sown in the spring oil-seed rape farm-scale evaluations is resistant to the herbicide Glufosinate ammonium and that the other transformation events present (anti-biotic resistance markers) confer no ecological advantage or disadvantage to the plants under normal agricultural management, the SSC consider that the presence of the additional material will not effect the results of the farm-scale evaluations. The SSC accept ACRE's advice that the crops should be harvested and the material destroyed as normal. |
Page published 30 August
2002;
Page last modified
30 August, 2002