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Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Interim Report on the Effects of the Management of
Field Scale Releases of GM Herbicide Tolerant Crops on the
Abundance and Diversity of Farmland Wildlife (October 2000)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  1. This is the third Interim Report of the Farm Scale Evaluations of Genetically-Modified Herbicide Tolerant (GMHT) crops. The research objectives for the period of this report were as follows:
  • select experimental sites for plantings of spring oil seed rape, winter oil seed rape, maize and sugar and fodder beet GMHT and non-GMHT crops
  • to monitor the management of these crops and their biodiversity according to the protocols
  • to collate and validate these data
  • to monitor, evaluate and refine the project management and methodologies protocols as required.

  1. The pilot study sites established during 1999 have been surveyed to assist protocol development.

  2. A total of 12 maize 12 spring oil seed rape and 24 beet sites were surveyed in the summer of 2000. 25 winter oil seed rape sites were accepted for sowing. In general, the sites selected provide representative samples of the geography and style of management for the crops.

  3. The field programme has achieved most of the desired targets and timings, but inevitably, there were some delays and changes to sampling timing because of variation in weather and crop management. There were some revisions to field protocols during the season.

  4. Data entry and validation protocols are now tested, and data entry is now well under way.

  5. A statistical program has been written to conduct the tests of the null hypothesis using data for a given indicator. It involves fitting different models to the data, and providing diagnostic information to allow the user to determine which model is most appropriate. In turn, this helps the user interpret the most appropriate level of probability that the null hypothesis is true. Preliminary analyses of seed bank data suggest that the models fit well to data and are indeed appropriate to provide tests of the null hypothesis with the power anticipated within the experimental design.

  6. The program of staff training and quality assurance is ongoing. A critical part of this is the review of data collection protocols. The protocols are being reviewed with respect to

    The review is taking place using a consortium meeting for field surveyors and the statistical analysis of data from 2000.

  1. The consortium has so far published two articles in refereed journals, and several other articles have been published. Consortium members have contributed to many scientific and general meetings, including local and regional meetings called by Government bodies and parish councils. We have taken part in many press interviews.

  2. We thank the farmers who are playing such an important role in this experiment, not only for their co-operation but for the positive way that they have coped with such a high profile project.

  3. The forthcoming objectives for the study are the completion of the data collection from the spring 2000 sites, the early data collection for the winter rape study, the re-assessment of the protocols, continued progress in data management procedures, the submission of detailed methods papers to scientific journals and the provision of feedback to farmers. There is also a need to develop and agree how different combinations of results should be interpreted.

  4. We recommend sample sizes of 32 for each of spring oil seed rape, maize and beet (combining sugar and fodder beet) for 2001, drawn from a larger pool of sites offered by the industry body SCIMAC.

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Published 2 January 2001
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