19 January 2005 

New GM crop management systems give wildlife benefits

Fat-hen weed seed shed at harvest

In research published today¹ , scientists from Broom's Barn Research Station² conclusively show how to use GM herbicide tolerant (GMHT) crop technology for environmental benefit. The authors suggest that the new crop management approaches they have demonstrated could resolve legitimate concerns about indirect environmental effects of GM sugar beet on weeds, insects and birds. John Pidgeon, director of Broom's Barn comments that 'This work adds a new perspective to future discussions about the benefits from GMHT sugar beet that the public, environmentalists and farmers should all be interested in'.

To obtain wildlife benefits in spring, the authors have improved timing of herbicide application to maximise both crop yields and the benefits from leaving weeds between crop rows. Maximising yields removes barriers to farmer up-take. However, autumn environmental benefits are more important, as autumn weeds provide seeds for bird food and for recharging weed seedbanks. The paper demonstrates a system that gives maximum crop yield AND increased weed seed availability (up to 16 fold), compared to previous GM or conventional management systems tested in the government's recent Farm Scale Evaluation trials. The new system is extremely simple in comparison, it involves applying the first spray fairly early and omitting the second spray - making additional cost and pesticide savings on top of the already large savings compared to conventional practice.

Contact

Mike May Tel: 01284 812230, mike.may@bbsrc.ac.uk
John Pidgeon Tel: 01284 812201 john.pidgeon@bbsrc.ac.uk

Note for editors

1. Management of genetically modified herbicide tolerant sugar beet for spring and autumn environmental benefit by: Mike J. May, Gillian T. Champion, Alan M. Dewar, Aiming Qi and John D. Pidgeon. In Proceedings B of the Royal Society.
2. Brooms Barn Research Station is part of Rothamsted Research, one of the largest agricultural research institutes in the country, which is sponsored by the BBSRC.
3. This work was funded in 2001 and 2002 by the Association of Biotechnology Companies, under a legal agreement that ensures that Broom's Barn Research Station can publish results in full with no restrictions or prior consultation with the Companies. Since 2002, Broom's Barn has received no further funding from ABC.

---

1. For further information, please contact the Rothamsted Research Press Office on 01582 763133 ext 2260 or email Adélia de Paula (adelia.depaula@bbsrc.ac.uk)
2. Rothamsted Research is based in Hertfordshire and is one of the oldest and largest agricultural research institutes in the country. The Applied Crop Science department is based at Broom's Barn, Higham, Bury St. Edmunds. North Wyke Research is located near Okehampton, Devon.