Precautionary action at GM Oil Seed Rape evaluation sites

Farmers in England who have grown genetically-modified oilseed rape as part of the Government's Farm Scale Evaluation (FSE) research into GM crops will not plant conventional rape in those fields in this autumn's sowing. This is to minimise any commercial consequence to the FSE farmers from GM plants accidentally growing from seeds left in the ground mixing with conventional plants.

The precautionary measure has been agreed between Defra and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. ACRE, the Government's independent GM crops advisory body has not raised any environmental or human health concerns. The farmers who have been trialling the crop will be implementing the decision, with the assistance of BayerCropScience, the company responsible for facilitating the GM oil seed rape fields for the evaluation.

This action has been taken as a result of the newly adopted EU thresholds on GM and an analysis of the preliminary results of research commissioned by Defra. This suggests that rape seeds from both conventional and GM varieties may persist in greater quantities in the ground than had previously been thought.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley said, of the precautionary

measure:

"We are determined to apply all rules on GM controls robustly and we are committed to being open and transparent about all aspects of the FSEs."

He went on "There is concern that seeds remaining in the ground from the GM trial will germinate and that the harvested crop might exceed the new EU thresholds on GM free crops. Clearly, the farmers involved in the FSEs must not be disadvantaged."

Dr Paul Rylott of BayerCropScience added: "The GM oil seed rape variety was assessed as safe by the European Scientific Committee in 1998, and it has yet to been considered for full approval. It is in the farmers' own commercial interests to ensure oil seed rape is not grown in the FSE fields this year, and that disease and weeds are subsequently controlled along the lines of normal agricultural practice of rotating crops."

Normal patterns of crop rotation mean that some farmers who planted rape three years ago, as the trial farmers did, might now be looking to plant it again. Instead, the farmers will use other conventional crops, which will allow for any GM plants to be controlled.

There are no similar concerns with the other GM crops being trialled in the UK - maize seed cannot survive over winter in the UK and beet crops are prevented from setting seed.

The first set of FSE results is to be published by the Royal Society in autumn. Following this, ACRE is to hold an open meeting for stakeholders at which they will be able to comment on the findings. In addition, Defra will look at the longer term implications for policy and research trials.

No decisions on the GM crop varieties used in the trials are expected before the end of the year.