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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to the farm scale evaluations of GM crops (a) which herbicides were used in the maize trials and whether these will continue to be legally available to farmers, (b) who was responsible for the independent measurement of maize yields and herbicide inputs and (c) whether comparisons between GM and non-GM maize yields were of crops using identical herbicide use. [134923] Mr. Morley: All of the herbicides used in the GM crop farm-scale evaluations, both on the GM crops and the non-GM equivalents, are listed in full in the scientific papers published on 16 October 2003 (see Champion et al. 2003; "Crop management and agronomic context of the farm scale evaluations of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops'"; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1801-1818. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library. Three herbicides used in the maize trials have been withdrawn as part of the EU review programme of pesticide active ingredients. The herbicides Atrazine and Simazine can be used for a further 18 months. Cyanazine can be used until the end of December 2003. The independent research team carrying out the evaluations audited the herbicide use by the farmers and monitored growth stages of the crops to compare yields. They concluded that the trials were conducted fairly. This approach and conclusion was endorsed by the independent Scientific Steering Committee and again independently assessed and by the journal referees; see Champion et al. 2003 for more details. Comparisons were not made using identical herbicide regimes as the purpose of the trials was specifically to assess the impact on wildlife of the different herbicide regimes used on the GM and non-GM crops.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

134923; 412 c410-1W;412 c418-9W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Crops Genetically modified organisms Pesticides Research Maize

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk